Sri Lanka’s textile and handloom sectors are in line for a major upgrade after many decades when a global technology platform used in complex patterns is presented to domestic craftsmen and designers this year.
"Modern techonology can greatly increase the productivity of our high quality handlooms” Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen said.
Minister Bathiudeen made these remarks while addressing a progress review of the institutions that fall under his purview on 17 January.
Jacquard machines are used by handloom designers to speed up their manual production looms’ speed. Jacquard machines give the strength of power-looms to hand-loom machines by speeding up complex handloom designs using a punch card system.
Sri Lankan handloom designers already use punch-card driven Jacquard machines for their production. However, these machines are not sufficient to meet the speed of today’s handloom market. The Textiles and Handlooms Development Division of the Ministry therefore will replace these punched card machines to digital, computerised Jacquards, said Minister Bathiudeen.
Accordingly, the Ministry plans to install the first high quality digital Jacquard system at the Sri Lanka Institute of Textile Technology, Ratmalana at an estimated cost of USD 20000.
This system will be used to demonstrate and train national level handloom producers as well as private sector suppliers who would be encouraged to import them on their own and competitively sell to local handloom producers. The Textile Department plans to import eight more digital Jacquards to be given to each province to train the Provincial producers and encourage provincial machinery importers.
Sri Lanka’s handloom sector is one of the low cost but high earning industries. The production is labour intensive and the industry consumes less electricity and utilities but generates higher employment. It is estimated that more than 12000 personnel are engaged in it with Wayamba, Western, and Central provinces accomodating the most handloom products.
Leave your comments
Login to post a comment
Post comment as a guest