Hike in Raw Material Prices Impact Livelihoods of Weavers in Nalgonda Region

The increase in prices of yarn and raw material, including colour, has impacted the livelihoods of handloom weavers in the Nalgonda region.

There are nearly 50,000 people eking out their livelihoods using around 10,500 traditional maggams in erstwhile Nalgonda district comprising Nalgonda, Suryapet, and Yadadri-Bhongir districts. These weavers require about 50,000 kilograms of yarn per month to continue their weaving without interruption.

With the stoppage of yarn imports from China, weavers are now completely dependent on markets in Karnataka for their yarn. There is a shortage of yarn in the neighbouring state too. As a result, the price of yarn has increased from ₹4,500 per kilogram to ₹7,200. In addition, the prices of colours have almost doubled.

Master weaver D. Srinivas said the hike in prices of raw materials has resulted in an increase of cost of handloom clothes and saris in the market. As a result, their sales have fallen, impacting their income.

Srinivas said he has 30 maggams. He has left 13 of them idle as there are no sales. This has affected the livelihoods of 30 families. He pointed out that many weavers are being forced to take up other jobs, including as labour, to earn their daily bread.

Shortage of yarn has impacted even the Ikkat saris produced by Pochampally weavers, which have a good demand across the world.

Pochampally master weavers, who supplied saris to shops and also sold them online, had earlier made a business of around ₹100 crore per month. But it has now dropped by half.

Thadaka Ramesh of Weavers Cooperative Society in Pochampally said sales at the showroom run by the society have fallen to ₹15 lakh from ₹30 lakh per month.

On behalf of various handloom societies, he has requested the state government to supply yarn and raw material to weavers at subsidised prices and save the handloom weavers.