Kochi, Dec. 8 : It's going to be a daunting task for V. S. Vijayaraghavan, the newly appointed Chairman of the Coir Board, to help out the coir industry which is presently undergoing a difficult phase due to the global economic slowdown.

The appointment of V. S. Vijayaraghavan, a former Member of Parliament, holds significance in the wake of the fact that the rupees 2,000 crore industry is in dole-drum with over 200,000 traditional workers directly affected by the prevailing economic situation round the world.

V. S. Vijayaraghavan has taken over the charge as the 24th Chairman at a simple ceremony held at Head Quarters at Kochi on December 3 for a three year term.

Vijayaraghavan has been the recipient of ''Vikas Rattan Award 1995'' constituted by the International Friendship Society of India for maximum developmental activities of his constituency.

During his tenure as a parliamentarian Vijayaraghavan has been a part of various Parliamentary Committees for Public Undertaking including Estimate Committee, Criminal Law Amendment Bill, Mental Health and Commerce and Railways.

Kerala is a major contributor to coir industry having 70 per cent of coconut fibre production. Sri Lanka, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are the other important producers of coir and coir products. (ANI)