Handicrafts exports to cross Rs 10,000 cr by 10th Fy P

New Delhi, July 28 (UNI) India's total volume of handicraft exports have reached Rs 9,200 crore and are expected to cross Rs 10,000 crore by the end of the tenth plan period, said Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI) Co Chairman L V Saptharishi here today.

Out of the total production of handicrafts worth Rs 16,500 crore, a significant portion of the products are being exported to the US, UK and European markets including Germany, Italy and Spain.

Despite many odds being faced by the handicraft sector including the maintenance of quality standards and little market access, there has been a phenomenal growth in the exports, Mr Saptharishi told reporters.

With a major chunk (75 per cent) of the country's population living in rural areas, among which 65 per cent are totally dependent on agricultural related activities, hadicrafts is slowly and gradually becoming an alternate source of employment, thus keeping many of the rural artisans and farmers from disguised employment.

CNRI Orissa Chapter President Srinibas Rath while speaking here in an interactive session on ''Linking rural industry to global markets and the role of Exim Bank'' said that the credit needs of the rural artisans need to be addressed in an expeditias manner so as to maintain the stupendous growth in handicraft exports.

Nowadays, credit flow has been choked as NABARD, apex bank for giving agricultural credit has raised their interest rates as well as their many hurdles in reaching the credit to the right hands, he added.

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