Gloomy Eid sales worry handloom weavers in Pabna
Weavers of two of the biggest handloom fabric producing districts are interpreting the ongoing lower-than-expected sales as a sign that they would miss their Eid target to some extent.
Ten upazilas of Pabna and Sirajganj are home to some 4.5 lakh looms, powered by both machine and hand, meeting some 70 to 75 percent of the traditional textile's demand in the country.
The weavers aim to produce 5.5 to 6 crore pieces of hand-woven garments, mainly lungis and saris, this month, said Md Haidar Ali, vice-president of Bangladesh Handloom and Power Loom Owners Association.
Eid accounts for about half of their yearly sales. For an average crafter, weekly sales leading up to the festival reach 300 to 400 pieces, while it is 100 to 150 pieces in other occasions.
However, sales have not kept up with expectations and with Eid-ul-Fitr around a week away, the artisans are pondering on ways to repay moneylenders, on whom they heavily depend on.
Md Sajahan Ali of Dogasi Kulunia village said about a quarter of his stock of lungis remained unsold last week and if the trend continued, he would find it difficult to pay wages to his workers.
Most production take place in households with clusters of five to 15 looms while there are a number of larger units housing some 100 to 150 looms.
“I have eight looms in my factory but I have retained just four workers,” said Md Hafizul Islam, a sari weaver of the village.
“Some 30 to 40 pieces of saris were produced every day last year but this year I am producing 15 to 20 pieces due to poor demand,” he said.
The twice-weekly rural markets in Shahzadpur and Ataikula are now open every day. Traders say their target group is low-income families who might not have enough cash in hand.
Moreover, product prices have increased by 10 to 15 percent for a rise in cost of raw materials, which, the traders say, might also be responsible for the slow sales.
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