Sri Lanka Handloom Textiles to Earn $2.24mn by 2015

04th October 2010, www.dailynews.lk

The handloom textile industry will aim to record US $ 2.24 million in export revenue by 2015.

Export Development Board (EDB) Chairman and Chief Executive Janaka Ratnayake said Sri Lanka is capable of producing various handloom textile products to foreign markets.

There is an increasing demand for Sri Lankan handloom textile products in foreign countries. Italy, Germany, France, UK, Norway, Netherlands, Maldives and Thailand are the main export markets for Sri Lankan handloom textile products.

Sri Lanka exports curtaining, table linen, bed linen, kitchen linen, upholstery and dress fabric and other products to foreign markets.

The products in demand in the local market are curtaining, table linen, bed linen furnishing, cushion covers, sarongs and sarees. Currently, cotton and silk yarn is imported from India and Korea, monthly. Around 900 private handloom producers inclusive of small, medium and large-scale are operating in the country.

The handloom textile industry is a highly labour intensive, export oriented rural based industry in the country.

However, lack of weavers and the high production cost has hampered the growth of the industry considerably.

There is a slight decrease in the current workforce in the industry as it is labour intensive. There were around 15,000 working in the industry five years back.

Total export value of handloom textile products in Sri Lanka recorded Rs 142.56 million and Rs 161.4 million in 2004 and 2005 respectively.

The country recorded Rs 209.97 million and 234.08 million and Rs 216.22 million as total handloom textile exports earnings in 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively. In 2009, it was Rs 116.07 million.