1 week ago
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While weavers under handloom cooperatives in Ernakulam have got a breather after getting their arrears for weaving school uniform fabric, there is crippling shortage of yarn haunting the traditional sector, which is witness to huge attrition and dwindling fresh recruitment. The Khadi school uniform programme for students of government schools was announced in 2016 as a step to boost the sagging fortunes of one of Kerala’s oldest traditional economic activities.
“At the same time, however, a serious shortage of yarn has landed the sector in serious trouble,” said T.S. Baby, who is associated with the Paravur Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society 3428. He added that the local yarn production unit in the State in the cooperative sector operated from Komalapuram, Alappuzha, was not sufficient to meet the demand of the entire State. Most requirements now are met through imports from other States. Besides the shortage, the price of yarn has spiralled during and after the pandemic, plunging weavers into difficulty.
Weavers in the district had accumulated payment for around 40,000 metres of handloom materials for school uniforms. While the money has not been released, weavers are keeping their fingers crossed over the continuation of the programme, which has been a steady source of income since its launch. There are around 1,000 weavers in Ernakulam district, of whom around 75% are also engaged in weaving handloom materials for the school uniform programme.
Meanwhile, Mr. Baby said Vishu sales were not promising, coming as it was, in the middle of the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. He said the rising atmospheric temperature had not triggered a perceivable improvement in the sale of original handloom clothing materials though initially there was a big push for materials of proven Khadi quality.
