Staff Reporter:
We found Laizu and Juthee, two school going girls at work. They informed us that a woman can make about three door mats daily. They are paid about 50 taka only for each mat .The paintings and labeling are also done by the women.
Normally, about 1000-1200 pieces of paposh are produced monthly at each “factory”. Depending on the quality, door mat is sold at Tk200 to Tk400. The quality ones are sold at Tk1,000-1,500.
Door Mats of coir are sold across the country.
In conversation with Nantu Mia over a cup of tea and muri (puffed rice) and molasses, I was further informed that there are more than dozen factories in the BSCIC industrial estate at Miarhat in Sutiakathi Union making different kinds of items from coir ropes.
Men are mostly engaged in rope making. Raw materials like garment wastes, cotton, jute, plastic nylon and other elements collected from different factories are mixed with coir to make ropes. Around 10 kg. of coir is produced in a ‘factory” daily. These ropes are mostly used in launches, ships, trucks and households. Men are paid Tk50 to Tk100 as daily wages.
Depending on different categories, each kg of rope is sold for Tk80 to Tk120 .
These ropes are sent to different markets in Barishal, Khulna, Chattogram, Dhaka and across the country. We were further informed that plastics and nylon pose a formidable challenge to the age-old traditional industry.
Despite stiff completion from artificial fibres, the natural fibres continue to thrive and given government support could find its place beyond our borders.
