The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, AUG 7, 2023
Handlooms occupy a major share in supporting large number of livelihoods in the rural economy. To upkeep the tradition, integrate the weavers and provide training, design development, credit, etc, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has been supporting for setting up of Off Farm Producer Organisations (OFPOs) across the country. Odisha has a beautiful tradition of handlooms providing livelihood to a large number of rural weavers. However, most of these artisans and weavers find it hard to market their products directly to consumers. NABARD has been supporting various types of marketing interventions to handloom weavers.
As part of the National Handloom Day celebrations today (August 7), the Odisha Regional Office of NABARD organised an exclusive handloom exhibition and fashion show in the DN Regalia Mall here to showcase the traditional handlooms of Odisha.
Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena, who graced the inaugural ceremony of the National Handloom Day celebrations as the chief guest, inaugurated the stalls of OFPOs promoted by NABARD.
The event was attended by State Director-Textile & Industry Department Special Secretary Shovan Krishna Sahu and NABARD Odisha Regional Office Chief General Manager Dr. Sudhanshu K K Mishra.
Weavers of the NABARD-promoted handloom OFPOs in Odisha were invited to participate in this 3-day exhibition. For the participating weavers, it will be a rare opportunity to showcase their products in a commercial mall and also reap the benefits of better sales directly and through orders.
NABARD urges people to support this endeavor in promoting direct marketing opportunities to the traditional weavers of Odisha.
