Question

Who started the coir factory in Alappuzha in 1859?
(a) James Smith
(b) James Scott
(c) James Hilton
(d) James Darragh

Answer 1

Hint: Coir is a natural fiber which is extracted from the outer husk of coconut and used in products like doormats, brushes, and floor mats. Kerala is one of the oldest and traditional industries in the state. Coir yarn and fiber are the chief commodities exported from Alappuzha. The high Coir producing state in terms of area is Kerala which is followed by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Complete step by step answer:
Alappuzha (Alleppey) is the main center of Kerala’s famous Coir industry. Here, coconut husks can be seen being beaten into fiber for making mats and other coir related products. Coir Industrial units came to be concentrated in and around Alappuzha due to the availability of cheap Labour and the abundance of raw material. Mr. Darragh came to Alappuzha which was the chief port of the state and started a manufacturing unit with the establishment of the first coir factory in India at Alappuzha by Mr. James Darragh, an American of Irish origin. He enlisted with the help of Henry Smail and the factory came to be known as “Darragh Smail & Company”

So, the correct answer is Option D.

Note: Together India and Sri Lanka produce 90% of the coir production every year. Sri Lanka remains the world’s largest exporter of coir fiber and coir fiber-based products. Hence, the Coir factory is particularly important in some areas of the developing world.