Coconut fibre-peeling machine, which can peel off over 500 coconuts within an hour, has been developed by a man in Coimbatore called Marimuthu.

Certainly this machine could help farmers avoid the risks involved in peeling off the fiber by using iron rods.

The machine runs on two-horse power electricity and is affordable to the coconut peelers.

'Peeling coconuts manually is a tough task for coconut growers and finding labourers has become difficult these days. Peeling coconuts with iron rods causes injury to labourers especially during rainy seasons. Keeping this in mind we have created a machine than can peel over 500 coconuts in one hour and in eight hours it can peel over 4000 coconuts. It runs on a 2HP (horse-power) motor and the electricity cost is just only 48 rupees (approx. a dollar) for eight hours and doesn't require much of manpower. It can be performed by women also,' innovative man, Marimuthu said.

Fiber-peeling machine, weighs nearly 100 kilograms.The wheels are fitted which makes it portable.

Local coconut peelers are looking forward for the machine.

'I am engaged in this coconut peeling work for the past 25 years and everyday we peel over 500 coconuts in eight hours. Many a times we get injured while peeling. I have heard about a coconut peeling machine that has been developed,' said local coconut peeler Krishnaswamy.

The machine will be soon released in market, after its approval, the cost will be known.