'Ransalu 2011' held for 21st year

As private sector began to show increasing interest to enter the handlooms sector in the country, Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa and Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen jointly launched 'Ransalu 2011', the National Handloom and Textile Exhibition of Sri Lanka, held in Colombo for the 21st successive year.

The National Handloom Exhibition is organised by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for the 21st time since it started in 1991. The national exhibition, sprinkled with dance troupes and cultural shows will end on Monday 19 but sales at the handloom outlet will continue till 24th December at the BMICH Exhibition Premises.

"The handloom sector is a strong antidote for unemployment and underemployment in our rural economy" said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen. "It's a mean of livelihood for unemployed war widows and the entrepreneurial youth in the North and Eastern regions," Minister Bathiudeen added.

Sri Lanka's handloom sector is one of the low cost but high earning industries. Its annual production exceeds six million metres of looms with an estimated annual production value of Rs 1500 Mn ($ 13.19 Mn) all of which are swallowed by both local and international demand. The production is labour intensive and the industry consumes less electricity & utilities while generating higher employment. At present, there are 511 weaving centres with 2,971 weavers and more than 10,000 looms in Sri Lanka assisted by 22 dyeing houses. Over 15,000 personnel are engaged in the handloom industry.

The key Lankan provinces for handlooms are the Wayamba, Western, and Central provinces.

The eastern regions of Sri Lanka too were reputed for handlooms but the 2004 Tsunami disaster inflicted damage on the eastern production, despite this, eastern handlooms continue to command buyer appeal. The handloom textile export target for 2011 set by the EDB under the Ministry of Industries is US $ 1.29 million (Rs 146 million). Among the international markets that vie for Sri Lankan handlooms are Italy, Germany, France, UK, Norway, Netherlands, Maldives and Thailand.

Managing Director of Ko Lanka R S Balanathan, whose firm produces Rs 50 Mn handlooms annually and the firm that produces the only silk handloom clothes and sarees in Sri Lanka, said: "I commend this show which is a strong boost to our industry. I believe we also need more support (to the private sector) and a bigger role for private sector in the handlooms of Sri Lanka" and added "We are willing to expand."