DHARMAPURI: Coming across markets that do not sell plastic products sounds like a far-fetched reality. Plastics have made their way into our lives and are here to stay for eternity, quite literally. Given the scenario, residents of Emakuutiyur village are taking the plastic market head-on with traditional bamboo products, especially baskets.
This small cottage industry is run by 15 families and caters mainly to poultry and sericulture trade in the district. The families are in the bamboo basket trade for close to 30 years.
Unfazed by the influx of plastic products, this small group has stayed strong and is reaping the benefit. Speaking to TNIE, Kaaliappan (70) said, "I started weaving baskets since I was seven years old. In my lifetime I have made several thousand baskets and will continue till I breathe my last. However, today, apart from poultry farmers and sericulturists, no one really cares much for bamboo baskets. Our trade is slowly dying.”
He worried that the trade would not see the light of the next generation and there won't be enough profit for them to continue.
Kaaliappan said, "Bamboo availability has declined in Dharmapuri and weavers travel to Omalur in Salem to procure them. Some 15 years ago we could procure bamboo from Bommidi and Morappur.” He attributed constraints in bamboo availability to the successive droughts in the district. Moreover, transportation charges have also increased, but, still manageable, he added.
Maadhaiyan, another weaver, said, "A bamboo basket is sold between `300 and `450. With many people leaving the trade, it has resulted in a huge advantage. We have a steady demand and every basket we weave is sold. On average, we make five baskets a day, and weekly over 30 to 40 baskets are made. Every week middlemen secure our baskets for decent prices. We have been making a decent profit."
He hoped that the trade would flourish in the future too. "Our baskets are sought after by poultry farmers and sericulturists. They function as incubators for the silk cocoons and protect poultry birds from predators. So as long as these two industries survive, our trade will flourish," he opined.
Asked if they receive financial assistance from the government, the weavers said they do not need aid since their livelihood was stable. A self-sufficient business, the weavers do not require resources in huge amounts and their expenses were low, said sources.