Declining dollar hits ''Pachranga'' pickle exports

Panipat, Dec 15 (UNI) The NRIs used to lip-smacking ''pachranga'' from back home, could soon find the pickle missing from their platter as its exporters are reeling under the impact of a declining dollar.

The manufacturers of tangy Pachranga mixed pickle, which has a huge market abroad, have suffered losses of around Rs two crore this year due to around 15 per cent appreciation in the Rupee's value in comparison to the US Dollar since January this year, according to the details from District Industry Centre.

''Now we have started concentrating on domestic market for our product," the Managing Director of the 'Panchranga' International said here.

''The margin in export of the pickle had decreased by 30 per cent in the prevailing situation'', he said.

The export-linked textile industry in this famous handloom city is also reeling under impact of strengthening of Rupee value and the exporters here are demanding concessions from the government to survive the crisis.

'' The strong Rupee has resulted in 25 per cent decline in annual export of textile products and carpets from the Handloom city of Panipat'', president of Panipat Exporters Association, Ram Niwas Gupta said.

''If the situation continues like this, the industry will suffer heavy losses. There will be sharp decline in production and thousands of workers working with the textile units will be rendered jobless,'' he remarked.

He urged the Central government to increase the Duty Drawback by five per cent from the existing limits of 8 to 12 per cent for providing some immediate relief to the exporters.

Mr Gupta also pointed out that due to frequent power cuts, the unit owners were forced to run the units on diesel sets which had increased the production costs.

UNI