India: Sales dip at Erode shandy
Erode: Every Tuesday, buyers from North India would flock the weekly shandy at Erode to pick up bed linens and blankets.
However, this year, many of the textile shops at the shandy have shut as Erode jamakkalams, blankets and linens have fewer takers.
“A few years ago, there were around 1,000 textile shops at the famous Gani Market; however it has come down to just 750 shops now.
Of them only 200 shops sell bed sheets and floor linens,” said K. Selvaraj, president of Textile Traders Association at the weekly Gani Market.
“ Earlier, North Indian buyers used to come in large numbers to buy the bed sheets and floor linens from here.
However, weavers in north India have started to produce them at a very competitive price,” he said.
As of now, just about Rs 50 to 60 lakh worth jamakkalams, bed linens are sold.
The textile traders have sought the intervention of the government in finding a solution to the problem.
The Erode District Handloom Department Enforcement assistant director K. Parameshwaran said that some weavers make the bed sheets in power loom instead of the mandatory handloom method.
“We have booked 14 such cases in the district and special teams are on the lookout to curb such violations,” he said.
Source: Deccan Chronicle, India (January 1st 2014) Wednesday, 01 January 2014