Domestic mill’s consumption of cotton from the year 2008 to 2009 (October-September) has degenerated up to 2.4 % year after year up to 19.09 million bales (1 bale=170 kg), because of the slowdown in global and domestic demand for textile, explained India’s Cotton Association.

Since last few years, cotton consumption by mills has been on the rising stages and has reached on a height as 19.57 million bales during 2007-2008, that was approx 30% raise over previous 5 years, association said in its house journal Cotton Statistics and News.

Economic slowdown around the globe, in addition with increase in prices for domestic cotton and low price support by the government, had affected the demand for cotton in the textile industry during 2008-2009, it was explained.

Cotton consumption for the same was lower down by the small scale units during the season at around 2.02 million bales in comparison with the 2.21 million bales in the year 2007-2008.

Karachi: Exports being targeted work $25 billion by the textile policy in five year are likely to fail due to the raised yarn export, top exporter says.
Ministry of textile is making delays in implementing its promises. How can be the targets achieved when raw material is not available in adequate amount? said the Chairman of Pakistan Apparel Forum, M Jawed Bilwani.

Policy reported on 12th of August 2009 explained that RS 40 billion have been set aside for the growth and development of the textile sector.

Level of Implementation of the policy is still resting on zero. Value added textile product Chairman FPCCI standing Committee and Acting Chairman of PRGMEA (Pakistan Readymade Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association), Bilal Mulla said, Payments for funds of research and development and drawbacks have not yet been able to reach the exporters pockets.

Rs 5 billion has already reached the State Bank of Pakistan as package for textile sector still no such instructions have be given for its utilization. State Bank’s letter to PRGMEA explained that the Textile Ministry had not yet specified that correctly measured area too where the amount is required to be utilized.
Rs 87 billion amount of cash is offered according to the policy as subsidy in order to boost the exports. Rather, due to the shortage of yarn and rise in utility rates, exports too are getting reduced which is still not addressed by the government.

Duty-free yarn import was allowed, though yarn exports were not mentioned anywhere in the meeting held at Islamabad this Wednesday by the Cabinet Committee over Textile Industry. Bilwani mentioned that expect for Pakistan, yarn was not being sold in International market so how can they buy them. Rather, yarn imports were already duty-free.

Financial problems are surrounding the textile industry nowadays which is still in the wait for R&D claims. Sixty percent of the R&D dues are still not paid.

Government has set aside R&D claims amounting to Rs.5.6 billion. R&D claims for approx 10,000 exporters are still pending, among whom 298 are found to be registered with Textile Ministry’s R&D cell and have been given an assurance for reimbursement. Due to this, objections against 434 exporter applicants are raised, among whom applications for around 4,000 are pending for the registration by ministry.

Chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Yasin Siddik of the Sindh Balochistan Zone expressed that the policy was good and very much effective but the implementation was not anywhere in progress.
Textile Industry Minister, Rana Muhammad Farooq Saeed Khan, explained in a program that entire policy will be implemented. But now the people of industry who at the time of policy release were optimistic have become pessimistic due to the slow implementation process.

Chennai: Dayanidhi Maran, Union Textile Minister said on Tuesday that Textile sector of India will be getting direct foreign investment up to the amount of Rs 25,000crores for the coming five years. He explained to the reporter at Quiad-e-Milath College of Women after the inauguration of National Handloom Expo there. Government is stepping ahead with strong initiatives in this direction, he added.

Handloom week is being celebrated by the Textile Ministry since 21st December for the promotion of handlooms and improvement of livelihood of the textile weavers, he said.

Handloom Expos have been arranged at more than 22 cities around the country with the expectation of 3 to 4crores revenue from each exhibition. At Kancheepuram, proposal for integrated textile park is being formulated as another step towards progress, he said. The minister added that, ‘Chief Minister Mr. M Karunandihi is likely to give dates to lay foundation, we are waiting for them’.

Expo is organized for featuring handloom products that includes everything from Chettinad Sarees to Pochampally Silk Sarees and West Bengal’s famous handloom material. Around 30% discount is offered by government at the expo that is likely to continue till 4th January.

Marketing linkage is being given to the handloom clusters by the government. Textile ministry is approaching the planning commission to persuade for enhancing allocation of the textile sector, says Dayanidhi Maran.

According to Maran, the government is working for the sustainability of the handloom sector in order to assist the cultural vibrancy of the country as it is offering grounds for more and more employment opportunities especially for the weaker sections of the society.

National Handloom Expo is being launched in New Delhi by the ministry as an important part of the first one ‘Handloom Week’ that is already organized by the textile ministry from December 21st to 28th 2009 all around the country.

Maran added that the textile ministry has been emphasizing over the promotional needs in the handloom sector since long time basically for the reason that the sector is supporting thousands of lives in comparison to many other industries.

Sops are promised for the sectors like handicraft, leather and handloom sector as they are supporting labor intensive needs to much extent, said Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce and Industry.

Maran further explained that expos for handloom are being organized at Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kannur, Dehradun, Puri, Jaipur, Bhilai, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Dimapur, Tirupati, Sibsagar, Patna, Lucknow, Bhopal and Kanpur along with series of exclusive fashion shows known as ‘Symphony in Weaves: The Handloom ensemble’.