The South Gujarat Textile Processors Association (SGTPA) has called for abolition of the practice of supplying grey cloth or unfinished fabric from power loom units to textile markets to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Instead, the association urged textile traders to make arrangements for direct delivery of unfinished fabrics to textile mills.
SGTPA president Jitendra Vakharia told a top English-language newspaper that as around 40 textile mills will be operational after May 25 and retail stores and wholesale cloth markets in most states have started operations, the demand may be generated in the next fortnight, if no further lockdown is announced by the government.
The smooth operation of the man-made fibre (MMF) textile chain in and around Surat has been disturbed with about 95 per cent of the textile markets in the red zone yet to restart operation.
Faced with the mass exodus of migrant labourers and subdued demand of fabrics, the MMF industry has started with 30,000 power loom machines, which is 20 per cent of the installed capacity of 6.50 lakh machines.
According to Ashish Gujarati, president of Pandesara weavers association, less than 10 lakh metres of fabric is weaved every day now against the installed capacity of 4 crore metres. The production will continue till yarn stocks last, he added.
The power loom units have reportedly resumed operation to safeguard their yarn stock, which was gathering dust in the units for the last 60 days.
Viscose yarn was lying in the godowns for almost two months and the stock has to be utilised before monsoon season before fungus growth.
