Price, profitability and employment in the handloom industry in kerala

The present study is on the nature, problems and prospects of the handloom industry in Kerala. The problems of the industry are mostly in the nature of low earnings of the workers, underutilisation of the existing capacity and low profit in its various sectors. The majority of the handloom co-operative societies are either dormant or facing liquidation. The income and employment of weavers are so pitiably low that they are living in utter poverty and starvation. Frequent price fluctuations of yarns, dyes and chemicals increase the cost of production and reduce the profitability. Consequently handloom fabrics are not able to compete with mill cloths and powerloom products. Accumulating the unsold stocks in the godowns of co-operative societies and with master weavers has become the practice of the day. Spinning mills in Kerala are producing only lower counts of yarns. S, handloom industry has to depend on textile mills in Tamil Nadu for higher counts of yarn. They create artificial scarcity and increase the prices exflorbitantly. Wage rates prevailing in Kerala are higher than those in Tamil Hadu. So rich master weavers are migrating to Tamil.Nadu and exporting the fabrics. under the label 'Kera1a Handlooms'. Governmental efforts to tackle the crisis by way of rebates and subsidies are found to be futile.

Working of Women’s Industrial Co-operative Societies in Kerala

This study deals with the working of Women’s Industrial Co-operative Societies (WICS) in Kerala. The formation of women’s co-operatives was identified as a lucrative enterprise and a feasible proposition for empowerment of women through encouraging and ensuring their active participation in the process of social and economic development. The problem of unemployment of Women and poverty in India can be tackled effectively only through suitable and appropriate self-employment schemes. WICS help to supplement the income of families and thus raise the standard of living. WICS in Kerala have a significant role in the elimination of industrial backwardness and mounting employment. This study focuses its attention on the performance aspects of WICS. It also gives an introduction to the co-operative movement and review of literature on industrial co-operatives in general and women’s industrial co-operatives in particular.

A Study of Coir Vyvasaya Co-Operative Societies in Kerala – Performance, Problems and Prospects

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of Coir Vyavasaya Co-operative societies (CVCs) in Kerala. It was also intended to examine the extent of fulfillment of the objectives of Co-operativisation Scheme and the socio-economic betterment of worker members, Further the study was directed to find out the level of participation of members in the affairs of CVCs and to identify the major problems confronting the CVCs and the future prospects of the industry. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the performance of CVCs in Kerala with reference to the objectives of co-operativisation, socio-economic background of the worker members of the CVCs in the state, extent of members participation, major problems etc. Major findings of the study shows that 84% of CVCs surveyed were incurring losses, the long-term solvency position of the CVCS shows very pathetic situation, ration analysis shows and unhealthy state of affaires with respect to short-term solvency position and operating efficiency of all categories of CVS were found to be extremely poor. If CVCs are enabled to increase their quantity of production and there by the volume of business, their amount of loss can be reduced. If this is so, the societies can provide more days of employment to their work members, which will help them to earn more wages and thereby improve their economic and social conditions

A Study of Scheduled Tribe Co-Operative Societies in Wayanad District-Performance,Problems and Prospects

Department of Applied Economics, Cochin University of Science and Technology

Efficacy of Cluster- Based Approach for the revival of Handloom Co-operative Societies in Kerala- with special reference to Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur Districts

one of the key sectors, identified by the Department of Industries Government of Kerala, for the cluster development initiative is Handloom, which gives employment to over over 50,000 people directly. Despite its age old tradition and fame, the performance of the sector vis-à-vis power looms is not very rosy owing to (i) competition from cheap power loom cloth from other states (ii) scarcity of quality yarn (iii) price escalation of yarn, dyes, chemicals and other raw materials (iv) the shrinking market for handlooms in Kerala (v) non-demand based production and inadequacy of new designs and (vi) inefficiencies in the system, particularly in the co-operative sector. Cluster based approach is adopted in the handloom sector with the objective of providing necessary support mechanism to come out of the crisis that the sector faces now. While four cluster schemes are being implemented in Kerala, it is under IHDS-CDP that the State got a sizeable number of clusters benefiting a large number of societies and weavers- 24 handloom clusters, bringing 152 handloom co-operative societies and over 19,800 handloom workers under the Programme. This research attempts to revisit the underlying rationale and context of the new direction and would attempt to broadly analyze the growth trends under the influence of cluster model adopted by the State IHDS-CDP for the revival of handloom sector through a detailed study of the handloom co-operative societies in Kerala. If handloom sector in Kerala can be revived using cluster based approach, it can be easily concluded that cluster is capable of taking the MSME in Kerala to a ‘high growth path.’ The study is aimed at understanding how best clusters emerge as appropriate industrial organization suitable for the current global structure of manufacture