At one stage, there was unthinkable that the demand for wool and woollen items should fall. It has come as a shock, therefore, that the woollen industry should be hit by recession, and should perceive a threat of declining demand from man made fibres. The fact that man-made thermal fibres are cheaper and lighter in weight has introduced a competitive factor that the woollen industry had not planned for. In such a world situation, the fact that we have registered an increase in our exports speaks highly of our performance. I appeal to exporter community present to redouble their efforts and exploit the potential in this regard and increase the share of wool and woollens in the export basket.
Statistics show exports higher to non-quota countries, for each item of export.
Future markets would continue to be these same quality conscious destinations. That an obvious strength is our woollen handloom sector, in which our skill at weaving has been renowned from ancient times. We need to adapt to the times and the market requirements, and to do so in a way that we produce, not goods which cannot compete with synthetics, but goods which by their very quality, can aim at a segment to which cost is not the only factor. With these, the industry will be able to hold its own in a market that is going to get increasingly small, and increasingly cutthroat. The profile of our wool industry, with small scale units that can adjust manufacturing processes quickly, is geared to respond quickly to demand.