Due to the varied lockdown norms in textile manufacturing States, the textile supply chain has started facing problems, affecting small-scale weavers.
Velusamy, a powerloom weaver at Palladam in Tiruppur district, says that the weavers in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts supply cotton fabric to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi. When these States went into lockdown, the weavers here could not supply the fabric and stocked the goods produced.
Now that the northern and western States had relaxed restrictions, the weaving units have resumed supply. However, with industries in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts not permitted to operate, the weavers are unable to produce goods. Similarly, supply of yarn has reduced as the small-scale textile mills are shut. “These will lead to price fluctuations. Further, business cycles are getting disrupted,” he said.
The textile mills here supply part of the yarn produced to the weaving units in the State and the rest to Maharashtra, apart from supplies for exports and garment units.
The textile mills, garment units, and weavers have resumed partial operations. The units are supplying the stocks now and will start production soon. Hence, supplies are expected to get streamlined. But cotton prices have increased steeply in the last two weeks. Further, the demand in Maharashtra has shot up. These factors are likely to result in a hike in yarn prices.
While the larger mills that had resources have stocked cotton, the other mills, especially those in the small-scale sector will not be able buy cotton at high prices, said sources in the textile mills.
