Handloom exports struggle against Chinese competition
30 Mar '06
1 min read
Kerela's handloom sector does not seem to have benefited a lot from the abolition of textile quotas.
Sources report that the export business contrary to the expectation has definitely gone down in the first year of quota-free trade.
Major reasons for this failure are the tough competition from Chinese industry, elimination of incentives for handloom in certain countries and lack of modern infrastructure.
T Ramakrishnan, Secretary, Kerala Handloom Exporters Organisation informed that last year the export had reached Rs300 crore but its unlikely to touch that figure in any way.
However, Kerala handloom has plans to push past Rs1000 crore in exports within next five years.
According to Chandrashekharan, Director of State Handlooms and Textiles, initial reports say that handloom export from the country has dropped three percent.
China has emerged as the top textile exporter in the post quota regime.
House furnishings comprise a major portion of handloom export from Kerala and foreign customers require stuff suitable for garments, which cannot be supplied in large quantities.
Besides, they also demand lower prices that cannot be provided due to cost of production and distribution.
marketing@alchempro.com
