Negative Growth For Handloom Exports Last Year

Handloom exports from India registered a negative growth during April-November 1996.Exports of handloom fabrics and madeups during the period were $284.60 million as against $288.39 million in 1995, the Handloom Export Promotion Council sources said here yesterday.

The fall, they said, was caused mostly by the decline in the export of fabrics from 38,111 sqm to 30,788 sqm during this period.

While export of madeups went up from 47,799 kg to 52,739 kg, the protectionist policies of the western governments towards imports from India had a negative impact on the overall quantum and value of handloom exports.

The depreciation of rupee against dollar during the last year has helped the handloom export council show a positive growth in the exports, as the rupee value of handloom shipments rose from Rs 922.85 crore during the first eight months of the last fiscal to Rs 996.11 crore this fiscal. Officials said the council was trying to overcome the challenges posed by the protected western markets by diversifying the handloom exports to markets such as South Africa, Australia and West Asia.

The thrust during the ninth plan would be commercialisation of the handloom sector to enable weavers to run their units viably.

The political perception that weavers should make clothes for the masses at affordable prices has given way to the realisation that weaving units have to run profitably and become globally competitive, they said.

Saying the government was finalising its textile policy, the officials asserted the Handloom Export Promotion Council had urged the Centre to include steps to improve the market-competitiveness of the handloom sector.

The Mera Seth committee on the development of handloom and powerloom sectors was expected to submit its report soon.

The recommendations and the government policy were expected to lay emphasis on the viability issue.