BAGALKOT: Weavers from Bagalkot district continue to find themselves in a fix as mounting troubles are eluding any decent income to them. Investment costs have gone up as prices of raw materials have increased, while they are not seeing any profit through sales.
This is the story in Ilkal, Guledagudda and Rabkavi-Banhatti, where the maximum number of weavers are found. In fact, these artisans are selling their ware below the price of production. “While the production cost is Rs 630-640 per saree, we are selling it at Rs 600 in the wholesale market.
The market is down because of two factors increase in prices of raw materials and lesser demand for sarees,” Srikanth Guled, who operates 80 handloom units, said. According to weavers, “The price of raw materials shot up in the last two weeks. Three months ago, yarn (hard silk) was priced Rs 500 per kg which has surged by Rs 130 a kg. The silk priced at Rs 4,200 per kg is now sold at Rs 7,500 per kg, followed by the price of cotton from Rs 320 per kg to Rs 520, cotton yarns from Rs 1,500 per kg to Rs 2,600 per kg. The price of saree both at wholesale and retail markets remain unchanged.”
Weaver Ambusa Rajolli told Express “It is difficult to sustain our business in the current scenario. With no option left, we are continuing the production barely surviving. All weavers are under severe debt because of Covid-induced lockdowns and poor market for our products over the last three years. The government, instead of providing financial assistance of Rs 2,000 annually under Karnataka Nekar Samman Yojana, should come up with solutions to address the burning issues of the community.”
“The government in collaboration with the cooperative sector has to step in to rescue the depressed weavers’ community. Along with providing financial aid, the government should create a conducive market for the weavers, with no role for middlemen and wholesale dealers,” urged Ambusa.