The government today said handicrafts export grew merely by 3 per cent in 2009-10 over the year-ago period due to the global slump in demand.
The country's handicrafts export contracted for 11 consecutive months since October 2008 on account of recession in India's major markets -- the US and Europe -- which turned positive in September 2009.
"...The exports of handicrafts including hand-knotted carpets have increased by 3.05 per cent during 2009-10 in comparison to the exports of corresponding year of 2008-09," Minister of State for Textiles Panabaaka Lakshmi informed Lok Sabha in a written reply.
The exports during 2008-09 fell to $1.79 billion from $3.48 billion in 2007-08.
Demand for Indian handicrafts like metalware, woodware, hand printed textiles and scarves, zari goods and imitation jewellery saw a massive erosion in the US and EU.
The US and the Europe together account for over 65 per cent of the Indian handicrafts exports which provide jobs to one million people.
In an another reply, Lakshmi said that demand for cotton was primarily coming from China, Hong Kong and Bangladesh.
She also said that prices of Indian cotton (Sanker-6 variety) have increased from Rs 22,400 per candy (356 kg) in October 2009 to Rs 28,800 per candy on April 16, 2010.
