VIJAYAWADA: Even after five months of resuming operation and with godowns filled with stocks, weavers’ future is still in the dark due to low demand of their produce among the buyers.
“At present, we have stocks worth Rs 150 crore, out of which goods worth Rs 20 crore is in Krishna district. But not many buyers have turned up even after sales and tourism activities restarted,” Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (APCO) technical officer Y Gopalkrishna told TNIE.
He noted that tourist footfall in the state, at present, is less than 20 per cent of the usual, which is one of the major reasons for the low demand. Another reason is no exhibition is scheduled for the remaining year. “An APCO store was inaugurated on the premises of Bapu Museum on October 17. Launching of such stores at major tourist destinations will be beneficial for the weavers,” he said.
Regarding tie-ups with online platforms, Gopalkrishna said: “We are going to start selling our products through Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra and a few others from Tuesday, tentatively. But these platforms may not be as profitable for the weavers as regular exhibitions.”
“A weaver earns less if a sale is made through an online platform than in stores/exhibitions. For instance, if a saree is sold online for Rs 1,000, the weaver gets only Rs 200 to Rs 300. This is because of the supply chain. Weavers are associated with societies, which are attached to APCO--which actually deals with online sales. If the weaver gets to sell directly from APCO stores, he/she can earn Rs 500 to Rs 600 for every saree.”
A weaver, who has set up her stall at an exhibition being held at the museum, was of the opinion that the online sales in the current situation is a good initiative. Not wanting to be named, she said, “Due to lockdown, we could not earn even a single penny. Through online platforms, one can earn at least Rs 200 to Rs 300 per product.”