Date:23/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/23/stories/2008012355290700.htm

Tamil Nadu

Bedsheet production affected

R. Sundaram

ERODE: The accumulation of bedsheet stocks is going up in all units of powerloom owners, due to non-sale of bedsheets.

The price of all variety yarns has gone up considerably for the past 15 days and because of this hike, the production cost of the textile goods is increasing.

According to powerloom owners of Chennimalai, Sivagiri, Veerappanchatram and Erode, many powerloom owners are getting bedsheet orders from all over India.

But now for the past one week, no North Indian merchants have placed orders due to hike in bedsheet price.

The powerloom owners said that the 10 number count and 2/17 count yarn price had risen by Rs. 50 to Rs. 60 per bundle of five kg. One of the bedsheet producers said if a weaver used the recently purchased yarn by paying new rates, the cost of production would increase by a minimum Rs. 10 per bedsheet.

So it would necessitate the weaver to sell the produce at extra rate. But the buyers refused to pay more for the product, so the goods were being kept in the production centres.

They said at present they had Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 3 crore worth of goods. If the production continued within a week’s time, the stock would go up.

So they had decided to grant holiday for the powerloom workers.