In order to attract investments, the Uttar Pradesh government today promised uninterrupted power supply and security to mega industry houses, if they wanted to open their units in the state. “We will provide a conducive environment,” Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma told representatives from various industrial units at a meeting.
In order to attract investments, the Uttar Pradesh government today promised uninterrupted power supply and security to mega industry houses, if they wanted to open their units in the state. “We will provide a conducive environment,” Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma told representatives from various industrial units at a meeting here. Sharma, who heads Group of Ministers on industries, has been entrusted with the task of drafting a new industrial policy for the state by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Other members of the GoM who attended the meeting were Satish Mahana (Industry Minister), Rajesh Agarwal (Finance Minister), Shrikant Sharma (Energy Minister), Nand Gopal Gupta (Stamp Registration Minister) and MoS Industrial Development Suresh Rana. “The UP government will put in place the single-window system, which will help the industrialists to get all the permissions from a single point itself. This will create an atmosphere of trust among the industrialists,” the Deputy CM said. “Similarly, all the grievances of the investors will be redressed in a time-bound manner and for this an online grievance redressal system is being ensured,” he said. Endorsing the concerns of the industrialists, he assured that the UP government will tackle these issues, while framing the new policy. “The UP government is committed to take positive steps for industrialists and people. This will result in investments in the state and creation of jobs, which will eventually lead to development of the state,” he said. Mahana said, “If needed, the state government will also mull enacting a law for overall encouragement and protection of industrialists”. He added that industrialists should have a positive frame of mind as a good environment is being created in the state for establishing industries. Shrikant Sharma explained the discounts for industrialists under the open access power purchase. Open access allows large users of power to buy cheaper power from the open market. The idea is that customers should be able to choose among a large number of competing power companies instead of being forced to buy electricity from their existing electric utility monopoly. It helps large consumers particularly sick textile, cement and steel industrial units by ensuring regular supply of electricity at competitive rates, he added.
Source: Financial Express
In 2014, Dolly Kumari, an outspoken Class XII passout, left her home in Jharkhand, journeying about 2,000 km south to a new job as a tailor at a garment factory in Bengaluru. Like most workers in this sector, when she first came, she did not think of staying beyond a few months. Today, over two years later, at 21, Kumari is one of two assistant line supervisors on the factory floor of Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., overseeing the work of 119 tailors. Her salary has risen 66 per cent, from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,300 per month. She talks easily of time management and effective communication, and hopes one day to become a floor-in-charge. Much of her success, she says, can be attributed to a life-skills training programme called Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement, or PACE, designed by Gap Inc., a clothing multinational. Through two-hour sessions every week for 11 months, conducted by qualified PACE trainers, the programme taught Kumari how to, among other things, manage her time productively and communicate effectively. In 2011, three US-based economists — Achyuta Adhvaryu, Namrata Kala, and Anant Nyshadham — conducted a randomised controlled trial (RCT) at a few Shahi factories in Bengaluru to ascertain the impact of PACE. The research found that nine months after programme completion, the net rate of return to her company’s investment in her job and life skills was more than 250 per cent. Cited by former US President Bill Clinton as an idea that is changing the world, in a 2012 TIME magazine article, the programme has trained 45,000 garment workers worldwide (including 26,600 in India, where it first began in 2007). It contributes uniquely to the Indian government’s Skill India initiative and indicates how workers can achieve new skills and companies can increase profits in a sector that can be critical to India’s economic growth. In recent times, this sector, as IndiaSpend reported on July 30, 2016, has been witnessing plateauing job growth and wilting export volumes. However, with rising labour costs in China ($3.52 per hour in manufacturing compared to India’s $0.92 per hour in 2014), as Bloomberg reported in November 2014, India stands to gain from this competitive advantage. In this context, the PACE programme has the potential to change how the garment industry recruits, skills and retains female workers.— IANS Garments generate 13 times more jobs than IT sector India's textiles and apparel sector is the country's second-largest employment provider, after agriculture. In 2015-16, textiles and apparel directly employed 105 million people - 13 times more than the information technology sector or equivalent to the population of South Korea - and constituted 15 per cent of India's export earnings. Every investment of $0.15 million in the apparel sector generates between 56 and 84 jobs, compared with an average of six jobs across all industrial sectors, according to government statistics. Textile and apparel factories also play a crucial role in skilling and employing women. While female labour-force participation in India has fallen over the decade ending 2015, as IndiaSpend reported on March 8, 2016, this sector has consistently generated more jobs for women than any other sector. The organised apparel segment is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of more than 13 per cent over the next 10 years, according to a 2016 report from the India Brand Equity Foundation, a government-run trust. In view of these statistics, and the potential for the garments sector to absorb even larger numbers of female workers, the researchers asked: How can garment firms be better incentivised to promote the wellbeing of their workers? (With inputs from Gurvinder Singh)
Source: Tribune
The country's biotech regulator GEAC has decided to transfer the responsibility of conduting evaluation and giving approval to genetically modified Bt cotton to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The decision to transfer the responsibility to ICAR was taken during a meeting of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Environment Ministry which met here last week. This responsibility was till now with a Standing Committee in Department of Biotechnology (DBT). "It was decided that the entire responsibility related to evaluation, approval and monitoring of Bt Cotton hybrids including confirmation of presence of approved gene or event, would be transferred to ICAR for which ICAR has also given its consent," an Environment Ministry source said. According to sources, after 2005, the number of applications for release of hybrids increased in GEAC. Following this, a sub-committee to review the Bt cotton and related issues was set up under the Chairmanship of C D Mayee. Under that an 'Event-based Approval Mechanism (EBAM)' for release of the Bt Cotton hybrids was recommended. This Committee was serviced from then onwards by a Standing Committee in Department of Biotechnology (DBT). Senior Environment Ministry officials, however said that the contentious issue of commercial release of GM mustard did not figure in the agenda during this particular meeting of GEAC. Bt cotton is the only GM crop approved for commercial cultivation in India. The approval was first accorded in April 2002 following an extensive review of biosafety testing and field trials data evaluation.
Source: DNA
Values for the Indian Shankar-6 variety increased in international terms over the past month, rising from 83 cents/lb to 85 cents/lb, due to a strengthening rupee. In domestic terms, values were flat to lower, holding to levels between Rs 43,000 and Rs 44,000 per candy of 356 kg. The May New York futures contract declined to 75 cents/lb recently. As the May NY contract has approached expiration, the July contract has picked up a larger share of open interest. Prices for the July contract have been consistently trading at a higher level than those for May, but July futures also lost ground over the past month, falling from levels near 80 cents/lb to those around 76 cent/lb, according to the latest monthly economic letter by Cotton Incorporated. As the May NY contract has approached expiration, the July contract has picked up a larger share of open interest. Prices for the July contract have been consistently trading at a higher level than those for May, but July futures also lost ground over the past month, falling from levels near 80 cents/lb to those around 76 cent/lb. The Cotlook A Index also declined several cents over the past month, dropping from levels over 88 cents/lb to those below 85 cents/lb. The China Cotton (CC) Index has remained comparatively stable, holding to levels around 104 cents/lb in international terms or around 15,900 RMB/ton in domestic terms. After declining throughout much of March, Chinese futures have been flat to slightly higher in early April. Values for the most actively traded September ZCE futures contract have been near 15,500 RMB/ton recently, after falling from levels over 16,600 RMB/ton in early March. Pakistani prices were stable. In international terms, values held near 78 cents/lb. In domestic terms, values held near 6,750 PKR/maund (approximately 37 kg).
Source: Fibre2Fashion
In 2014, Dolly Kumari, an outspoken 12th class pass, left her home in Jharkhand, journeying about 2,000 km south to a new job as a tailor at a garment factory in Bengaluru. Like most workers in this sector, when she first came, she did not think of staying beyond a few months. Today, over two years later, at 21, Kumari is one of two assistant line supervisors on the factory floor of Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., overseeing the work of 119 tailors. Her salary has risen 66 per cent, from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,300 per month. She talks easily of time management and effective communication, and hopes one day to become a floor-in-charge. Much of her success, she says, can be attributed to a life-skills training programme called Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement, or P.A.C.E., designed by Gap Inc., a clothing multinational. Through two-hour sessions every week for 11 months, conducted by qualified P.A.C.E. trainers, the programme taught Kumari how to, among other things, manage her time productively and communicate effectively. In 2011, three US-based economists–Achyuta Adhvaryu, Namrata Kala, and Anant Nyshadham–conducted a randomised controlled trial (RCT) at a few Shahi factories in Bengaluru, to ascertain the impact of P.A.C.E. The research found that nine months after programme completion, the net rate of return to her company’s investment in her job and life skills was more than 250%. Cited by former US President Bill Clinton as an idea that is changing the world, in this 2012 TIME magazine article, the programme has trained 58,938 garment workers worldwide (including 26,600 in India, where it first began in 2007). It contributes uniquely to the Indian government’s Skill India initiative, and indicates how workers can achieve new skills and companies can increase profits in a sector that can be critical to India’s economic growth. In recent times, this sector, as IndiaSpend reported on July 30, 2016, has been witnessing plateauing job growth and wilting export volumes. However, with rising labor costs in China ($3.52 per hour in manufacturing compared to India’s $0.92 per hour in 2014), as Bloomberg reported in November 2014, India stands to gain from this competitive advantage. In this context, the P.A.C.E. programme has the potential to change how the garment industry recruits, skills, and retains female workers. Garments generate 13 times more jobs than IT sector India’s textiles and apparel sector is the country’s second-largest employment provider, after agriculture. In 2015-16, textiles and apparel directly employed 105 million people–13 times more than the information technology sector or equivalent to the population of South Korea–and constituted 15 per cent of India’s export earnings. Every investment of $0.15 million in the apparel sector generates between 56 and 84 jobs, compared with an average of six jobs across all industrial sectors, according to government statistics. Textile and apparel factories also play a crucial role in skilling and employing women: While female labour-force participation in India has fallen over the decade ending 2015, as IndiaSpend reported on March 8, 2016, this sector has consistently generated more jobs for women than any other sector. The organised apparel segment is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of more than 13per cent over the next 10 years, according to this 2016 report from the India Brand Equity Foundation, a government-run trust. In view of these statistics, and the potential for the garments sector to absorb even larger numbers of female workers, the researchers asked: How can garment firms be better incentivised to promote the wellbeing of their workers? How Shahi Exports and its workers benefitted from life-skills training P.A.C.E. was piloted in 2007 in Shahi factories, which now cumulatively employ more than 110,000 people. In 2012, Adhvaryu, Kala and Nyshadham evaluated the impact of the programme at five Shahi factories in the Bengaluru area. The RCT covered 2,703 workers who had expressed interest in the programme, of which about 1,000 were randomly chosen to participate and the remainder allocated to a control group, which did not receive the training. Through weekly two-hour sessions, P.A.C.E. covered essential life skills such as communication, time management, financial literacy, problem solving and decision-making. The cumulative costs of the programme to the company plateaued at $90,285 (Rs 61.45 lakh) at the end of 11 months since it started, while the gains continued to increase even after this period, standing at $321,145 (Rs 2.18 crore) at the end of 20 months. The low cost of administering the programme combined with the gains in productivity and person-days (a measure of factor manpower) explain its potential (click here for calculation of return on investment). Workers who received such attention were more likely to enrol in skill-development training at the company, to save for their children’s education and to utilise state-sponsored pension and health care schemes. They also had higher self-esteem and displayed more sociability. For female workers, lasting life changes and increased wages The experiment is unique in that it demonstrated that skill-development programmes delivered through companies have the potential to be profit-generating engines that also promote worker wellbeing, Providing training in life skills to women does not just make them more productive employees it also creates lasting changes in women’s domestic lives and increases their effective wage, because skilling is an in-kind transfer from the firm to the worker. Propelled by the positive results of this and other similar studies in the past five years, two of the researchers–Adhvaryu and Nyshadham–along with the head of organisational development at Shahi, Anant Ahuja, founded The Good Business Lab in March 2017. Funded through corporate social responsibility and research funds, the aim of the lab is to incubate, evaluate and disseminate P.A.C.E. and other research findings that benefit workers and generate profits. P.A.C.E. study has had a cascading effect The results of this study have helped to inform Gap Inc.’s latest global expansion of the P.A.C.E. programme, as well as contributed to Gap Inc.’s licensing of select firms such as Shahi, to expand P.A.C.E. in their factories or outside factories in community settings. To date, Gap Inc. has spread the programme across its vendor base in 12 countries, and nearly 60,000 female garment workers have graduated from P.A.C.E. Back in Bengaluru, Shahi assistant supervisor Kumari, who at 21 has already progressed to a senior level in her factory, said: “P.A.C.E. improved my time-management skills, taught me not to discriminate on the basis of caste and made the overall work environment in the factory better.” In an industry known for low skills and transience of jobs, Kumari does not want to join any other firm–even if it has a factory closer to home–that does not have a life-skills training programme. She wants to stay at Shahi, move further up the professional ladder, and in the process, motivate other women she lives with to be hard-working and ambitious.
Source: Business Standard
Younger weavers eager to adopt computer-generated designs in their products The handloom weaving tradition is undergoing a transformation in the district. The patterns, for instance. The old school is sticking to convention, but the younger generation of weavers are gravitating towards computer-generated designs. For the last 30 years, elderly weavers living in Musiri, Manamedu and Thathaeingarpettai and nearby areas have been weaving the same pattern. The Department of Handlooms made efforts to introduce jacquard looms, but it was too difficult for them to adapt to the new loom, they say. Like 82-year-old V. Arumugam, a weaver from Manamedu, who feels more comfortable with the conventional loom than the jacquard loom. “First, it needs more space and additional alteration which I am not used to.” Another important reason why he has stuck to the old patterns for his cotton saris and dhoties is the assured supply of raw materials from the master weavers of Salem. “Although some of the weavers in and around Manamedu are drifing towards silk looms, a good majority of us, particularly the aged ones, are still been weaving the old patterns,” he points out. The elderly weaver earns at least ₹1,500 a week for weaving nine dhoties. “The master weavers from Salem not only supply the raw materials but even collect the finished goods after promptly paying our wages,” he says. Another roadblock for the older lot comes with advancing age — poor vision. Reason why when efforts were made to introduce computer designs, senior weavers felt that it would be difficult for them to follow the designs. “Most of the weavers with long sight find it difficult to follow the designs that are too small and complicated,” says R. Narayana of Thathaiengarpettai.
Young weavers
But it is a different story when it comes to the younger handloom weavers. Eager to adopt new computer designs in their weaving pattern, some even pursue vocational courses to hone their skills. C. Jothimani of Manamedu, an undergraduate student, says computer designs attract customers. In fact, she has already undergone training in computer design-based handloom goods. What is more, she plans to intensify her training in the area. Equipment for weaving computer-generated designs have arrived in parts of Manamedu. Once they are incorporated into the looms, young weavers like her, who have already undegone training, will start producing textile new patterns.
Source: The Hindu
Decks have been cleared for the launch of long-pending Textile Park, touted as the biggest ‘fibre to fabric’ (end-to-end) facility in the country, in Warangal with the authorities completing the land acquisition, one of a key challenge that every government has been confronting with, these days. Although the project has been in the pipeline for over six years, it was finally given a push by the Telangana government in 2014. It may be noted here that although the State produces 60 lakh bales of cotton per annum, the consumption by the local mills is just around 10 lakh bales. The surplus is being exported to neighbouring States - Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Initially, the authorities identified land for the proposed park in Devunuru and Mupparam villages under Dharmasagar mandal. Of which, a part of land belonged to forest department. Realising the problems in getting clearances from the forest wing, the government cancelled it. Then the authorities stretched their eyes on land in Sangem and Geesukonda mandals in Warangal Rural district. Here too the land acquisition process hit a roadblock with the farmers opposing to concede their fertile lands and with the Left parties raising a hue and cry accusing the government of using coercive measures to get consent from the farmers. Against this backdrop, the Rural district administration was able to acquire nearly 1,200 acres successfully. Speaking to The Hans India, the Rural district Joint Collector M Haritha said: “The administration has acquired 1,120 acres against the requirement of 1,050 acres.” TSIIC Warangal Zonal Manager Ratan Rathod said: “A detailed project report (DPR), prepared by the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) will be submitted to the government soon.” It’s learnt that Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited is entrusted with the responsibility of submitting Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to the State Pollution Board. Meanwhile, the speculation is rife that Chief Minister who is scheduled to address a public meeting in Hanamkonda on April 27 is expected to lay foundation stone for the mega textile park. However, the district administration said that they have no such information so far.
Source: The Hans India
The international crude oil price of Indian Basket as computed/published today by Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas was US$ 53.50 per barrel (bbl) on 18.04.2017. This was lower than the price of US$ 54.59 per bbl on previous publishing day of 17.04.2017. In rupee terms, the price of Indian Basket decreased to Rs.3454.49 per bbl on 18.04.2017 as compared to Rs. 3515.92 per bbl on 17.04.2017. Rupee closed weaker at Rs. 64.57 per US$ on 18.04.2017 as compared to Rs. 64.41 per US$ on 17.04.2017. The table below gives details in this regard:
|
Particulars |
Unit |
Price on April 18, 2017 (Previous trading day i.e. 17.04.2017) |
Pricing Fortnight for 16.04.2017 (March 30, 2017 to April 11, 2017) |
|
Crude Oil (Indian Basket) |
($/bbl) |
53.50 (54.59) |
52.87 |
|
(Rs/bbl |
3454.49 (3515.92) |
3423.86 |
|
|
Exchange Rate |
(Rs/$) |
64.57 (64.41) |
64.76 |
Source: PIB
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday restored India to the status of the world’s fastest-growing major economy in 2016-17, as it raised its growth forecast for the country to 6.8 per cent for the last fiscal, after trimming it to 6.6 per cent in January due to demonetisation. However, IMF has now retained its earlier India growth forecasts for 2017-18 and the next fiscal at 7.2 per cent and 7.7 per cent, respectively, its latest annual World Economic Outlook (WEO). In January, the IMF had cut the India growth forecast for 2016-17 by 1 percentage point, lower than the 6.7 per cent growth rate it had predicted for China, citing “temporary negative consumption shock induced by cash shortages and payment disruptions” due to demonetisation. It had also trimmed the 2017-18 growth forecast for India by 0.4 percentage point to 7.2 per cent for the same reason. The IMF forecast is still lower than the 7.1 per cent growth projected for 2016-17 by the Central Statistics Organisation. On Tuesday, the IMF, while retaining its India forecast for the current and the next fiscal, said: “Medium-term growth prospects are favourable, with growth forecast to rise to about 8 per cent over the medium term due to the implementation of key reforms, loosening of supply-side bottlenecks, and appropriate fiscal and monetary policies.” The multilateral body raised the global growth forecast by 0.1 percentage point for 2017 at 3.8 per cent, but has retained the prediction for the US at 2.3 per cent. It has, however, raised its projection for the EU by 0.1 percentage point to 1.7 per cent. For China, the IMF has raised its forecast by 0.1 percentage point to 6.6 per cent for 2017 and 0.2 percentage point to 6.2 per cent for 2018. The IMF said the upgrade to the global growth forecast for 2017 remains modest (0.1 percentage point to 3.5 per cent), and longer-term potential growth rates remain subdued across the globe compared with past decades, more so in advanced economies. While there is a chance that growth will exceed expectations in the near term, significant down-side risks continue to cloud medium-term outlook, and may have intensified since the January forecast. The worry for India is the fact that the IMF has cut its global trade growth forecasts by 0.2 percentage point for 2018 (from its January forecast) to 3.9 per cent. India’s merchandise exports started improving in recent months after struggling since December 2014.
Source: Financial Express
To capture the rising megatrends such as Globalisation Shifting demographics Fast emerging technology Climate change Resource scarcity and Sustainability that drive consumerism textile industry has to do things differently and innovate asserted Mr. Nikhil R Meswani Executive Director Reliance Industries Ltd. here. Middle class is witnessing a boom in income levels and majority of this will come in Asia . About 96% of the global urbanization will occur in developing countries that will push demand for sophisticated products and newer fashion. The new populace has to be treated in a different way and to newer products. What all got us till here will not take us further hemal cautioned. Addressing the 11TH Asian Chemical Fiber Industries Federation (ACFIF) in city Mr. Meswani observed that the textile industry today calls for innovative products that meet high ends uses and have multifunctionality. There are varied new uses of textiles in technical applications ranging from geotextiles to aviation topman Export automotive and many more hemal pointed out. But all growth without sustainability is not a viable option said Mr. Meswani and added that we have to create a society that is sustainable and opens avenues for further growth without degrading the current balance. We have to learn to reuse reduce recycle and keep on repeating this cycle. We have to work collectively to create a sustainable and economy for the society employee consumer and shareholder he emphasised. Mr. Meswani noted that the world continues to be highly volatile and in this era of digital connectivity the sentiments spread fast and any development at one corner of the world has far reaching social and economic impact at the other parts of the world. On Oil prices he said that a major factor in the global economy and the chemical fibre dynamics has fluctuated very widely in recent past and the high range of volatility has imparted a lot of uncertainty. Today oil prices are in a new regime and a new normal gone are the days of above $100/ barrel days. Today $ 50/barrel is the new $ 100/barrel. A low price regime inherently beneficial for the chemical fibre industry as it brings down manufacturing and raw material costs Mr. Meswani pointed out. During all this shift to new normal one should continue to pursue one’s goals the goal should be fixed the methods can change Mr. Meswani said and quoted Late Mr. Dhiru Bhai Ambani maxim “Think big think fast think ahead. Ideas are no one’s monopoly.” It is the person/company/ organisation that believes that only change is constant and adapts itself to the changing times shall survive. Reliance has grown over the three decades on this underlying philosophy and has seen 21% compounded returns in this period Mr. Meswani said.
Source: Tecoya Trend
|
Item |
Price |
Unit |
Fluctuation |
Date |
|
PSF |
1111.47 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
VSF |
2273.79 |
USD/Ton |
0.32% |
4/18/2017 |
|
ASF |
2252.00 |
USD/Ton |
1.31% |
4/18/2017 |
|
Polyester POY |
1176.85 |
USD/Ton |
0.62% |
4/18/2017 |
|
Nylon FDY |
2687.87 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
40D Spandex |
5375.73 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
Polyester DTY |
2978.45 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
Nylon POY |
5826.13 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
Acrylic Top 3D |
1409.31 |
USD/Ton |
0.52% |
4/18/2017 |
|
Polyester FDY |
2513.52 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
Nylon DTY |
2426.34 |
USD/Ton |
1.21% |
4/18/2017 |
|
Viscose Long Filament |
1380.26 |
USD/Ton |
0.53% |
4/18/2017 |
|
30S Spun Rayon Yarn |
2891.27 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
32S Polyester Yarn |
1714.42 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
45S T/C Yarn |
2687.87 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
40S Rayon Yarn |
1845.18 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
T/R Yarn 65/35 32S |
2252.00 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
45S Polyester Yarn |
3051.09 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
T/C Yarn 65/35 32S |
2353.70 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
10S Denim Fabric |
1.35 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
32S Twill Fabric |
0.85 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
40S Combed Poplin |
1.18 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
30S Rayon Fabric |
0.66 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
|
45S T/C Fabric |
0.67 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
4/18/2017 |
Note: The above prices are Chinese Price (1 CNY = 0.14529USD dtd.
18/04/2017) The prices given above are as quoted from Global Textiles.com. SRTEPC is not responsible for the correctness of the same.
MELBOURNE APR. 18- (PTI) Australia has said that it was having a “good look” at the situation with respect to the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India days after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s visit to the country. Earlier this month the FTA issue emerged during the first official visit of Turnbull to India where he met his counterpart Narendra Modi. The two leaders confirmed that the progress on the proposed deal has been very slow and asked chief negotiators from the two sides to meet and reinvigorate the talks on the long stalled deal. Last year Australian trade minister Steve Ciobo announced that a stocktake of issues surrounded the deal. Yesterday the trade minister said “We’re having a good look at the situation with respect to India. Certainly what India’s asking goes well beyond anything that Australia has done in terms of any FTAs that we have put in place and we’re not willing to go to that extent.” The trade minister said that he wanted to have a look at what it was that India was offering with respect to goods exports. “From my perspective Info want to make sure that Australia’s national interest is well served which means doing a deal that’s good for Australia and not just doing a deal to get one over the line if it’s not serving our national interest well ” Ciobo said. The issues of tariffs and labour mobility have been areas of concern between the two sides. Meanwhile Ciobo who left for Japan today has expressed his trip would build on free trade deals with Asian neigbour and promote Australian food beverage financial services and health sector. The talks for Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) or FTA between the two sides started in 2011 in a bid to boost bilateral trade and investment. Both sides were expecting to conclude negotiations by December 2015 however there were differences in areas like duty cut on dairy products and wines. Several rounds of negotiations have been completed for liberalising trade and services regime besides removing non- tariff barriers and encouraging investments. Southwest Monsoon will be ‘normal’ this year: IMD NEW DELHI APR. 18— The Southwest Monsoon will be “normal” this year anant Bhadigar news which will augur well for the farming community and the economy. India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General K J Ramesh said there would be good distribution of rainfall across the country. “The country will receive 96 per cent of Long Period Average ” he said. Anything between 96 and 104 per cent of the LPA is considered as “normal”. Anything under 96 per cent is considered as “below normal” and 104-110 per cent of the LPA as “above normal”. Last year the IMD had made an initial forecast of “above normal” rainfall but it belied its prediction and ended the seasons with normal precipitation. Last year the southern peninsula had registered deficient rainfall and several parts of Tamil Nadu Karnataka and Kerala reeled under droughtlike situation. #
Source : Business Standard
As the textile industry becomes transformed by technology, companies are considering highly automated, environmentally conscious production facilities in the U.S. Southeast, where the infrastructure necessary for this industry’s success is already in place. Changes in global economic, social, and political environments are having major impacts on the textile industry. Manufacturing technology is changing. Consumer trends are changing. There is a rapidly growing middle class and an increasing cost of doing business in China — once the world’s cheapest country in which to manufacture textiles and apparel. The speed-to-market of products has never been more important. Proposed policy changes and U.S. border tariffs are making companies consider shifting production capacity to the United States. For these reasons, the United States is finally seeing a resurgence in the textile industry. From Background on Textile Industry Exodus 1994 to 2005, the United States lost more than 900,000 textile and apparel jobs to offshoring. Since the 1960s, low wages and new industrial production capacity in countries such as China, India, and Brazil made textile production in the United States a losing proposition. Most U.S. textile companies either shutdown or moved abroad, and it seemed as though the U.S. textile industry would never make a comeback. This hit the U.S. Southeast particularly hard. As the Great Recession loomed, the only evidence of the once thriving industry were the old derelict factories — tall smokestacks, short ceiling heights, and creeping kudzu vines swallowing what was left of the buildings. Textile firms locating in the U.S. Southeast.Fast-forward to 2017. The pendulum is swinging back and textiles are returning as lean, highly automated, environmentally conscious production facilities. Within the last five years, there have been significant announcements by foreign-owned textile companies investing in the United States, with site selection choices clustered in the Southeast once again. The Big Comeback These location decisions are driven by port proximity, low utility costs, a quality affordable labor pool, and access to training. As consumers become more socially aware, many retailers are strongly encouraging their suppliers to build an environmentally safe U.S. presence to capture the PR benefits of being “Made in America.” Companies are also placing an extreme amount of importance on speed-to-market, both from a construction perspective and proximity to market perspective. The need to be up and running in a short timeframe and with limited capital expense has driven investment back to the Southeast. Because the southeastern United States was once inundated with textile facilities, the infrastructure necessary for industry success is already in place. Wastewater treatment plants are already designed to accommodate the fabric dyeing process and have the ability to treat this kind of effluent without much capital investment or new permitting. The Cotton Belt in the Southeast provides close proximity to one of the industry’s major raw materials. A history of textile manufacturing has left behind a legacy workforce with the technical know-how and work ethic to support industry newcomers. Training programs are in place to prepare workers to operate highly automated facilities, and universities have thriving textile engineering programs. The U.S. textile industry saw $2 billion in capital investments in 2015. In addition to new greenfield investment, existing textile companies that weathered the downturn are retooling their businesses and automating the work process. The United States is currently the world’s third-largest exporter of textiles, and saw a swift 39 percent increase in exports from 2009–2015. Some of the factors causing companies abroad to invest in the United States include:
• Increasing wage rates abroad without comparable increasing productivity
• High energy rates abroad
• Speed-to-market issues
• Policy changes in the U.S. and
• Technology changes in the manufacturing process.
Wages and Productivity
China, the world’s largest exporter of textiles, is growing an emerging middle class with rapid wage increases averaging up to 15 percent a year. While a Chinese production worker sees a large raise each year, that same laborer is not increasing production capacity. This unbalanced wage growth is biting into what was once China’s true competitive advantage. Strikes in manufacturing operations in China have also increased drastically and have created a sense of tension and instability for Chinese manufacturers. According to The Washington Post, there were 503 reported strikes across China in January 2016 compared to eight strikes in January 2011. A survey by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology states that strikes are on the rise because companies have laid off approximately 3.7 percent of their workforce due to rising wages. Uncertainty and lost productivity due to strikes give CEOs another reason to consider the more stable right-to-work states in the southeastern United States. The Cotton Belt in the Southeast provides close proximity to one of the industry’s major raw materials. The shale-oil boom has presented a significant competitive advantage for the United States. Industrial users are seeing natural gas prices average about one-third of those in most other industrial economies. Energy Rates Lower natural gas prices are driving U.S. industrial electricity rates lower. U.S. rates are on average 30 percent to 50 percent lower than for other major exporters. Michael Porter with Harvard Business School suggests that the United States has a 10–15-year head start on capturing the benefits of these unconventional resources. Consumer preferences are changing, and textile firms are changing with them. For example, fast fashion trends have forced apparel companies to make smaller batches of clothes more frequently, and speed-to-market is crucial. Speed-to-Market Issues Where manufacturers used to have to design four seasons of clothes, companies are now going through the redesign process 24–26 times a year, forcing manufacturers to be more flexible and deliver products to market quicker. Zara, a Spanish-owned retailer, is delivering new products worldwide to their stores just 15 days after design is started. When every day matters to bring products to market, it is no surprise that companies want to be close to the United States, the world’s second-largest textile consumer market. Customization is also an emerging trend. Adidas Pursues Rival Nike with In-store Personalization and Manufacturing, The Drum NewsAdidas is implementing new stores that manufacture and personalize products within four hours previously it took 12–18 months to put new products on the shelf. By creating shorter product life cycles, textile firms are taking the guessing game out of product demand and allowing their manufacturing process to respond in real time to customer preferences. These changes in the fashion industry are compounded by shipping logistics issues in China. Unlike in the United States, where major carriers (FedEx and UPS) dominate the market, shipping companies in China are fragmented due to government regulation. Highway and port infrastructure are improving, but still not sufficient for effective logistics and are often delaying shipments abroad. A history of textile manufacturing has left behind a legacy workforce with the technical know-how and work ethic to support industry newcomers. Proposed Policy Changes in the U.S.
On January 23, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order to end the possibility of a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which aimed to create an export-led growth model supporting free trade with 11 countries in the Pacific, excluding China. The agreement would have phased out approximately 18,000 tariffs among the participating countries and helped smaller companies navigate export rules, trade barriers, and red tape. Trump argued that by ending the TPP, companies would be more likely to send FDI to the United States to avoid import tariffs and sluggish logistics. Trump has proposed a 20 percent tariff on incoming goods from Mexico and up to 35 percent from China. In a low margin business, these tariffs would create a significant impact on the textile industry’s bottom line. While there is no way to predict what these policy changes will have on the textile market, companies are at least devoting time and resources to explore adding capacity in the United States. Technology Changes in the Manufacturing Process Although the United States has made strides toward becoming more competitive on production cost, it is still not the cheapest option for manufacturing. Until the apparel (cutting and sewing) portion of the industry can be automated, these jobs will remain in countries such as Vietnam, Mexico, and Honduras, where low wages attract labor-intensive operations. However, the United States has created a niche and competitive advantage in highly technical material manufacturing. Capital investment in yarn, fabric, and non-apparel textile product manufacturing has risen from $960 million to $1.7 billion from 2009 to 2015 — a 75 percent increase. The United States is especially poised for growth in a subsector of the textile market called “smart textiles,” or nanomaterials. Smart textiles are fabrics that have been developed with new technologies that provide an added value to the wearer.While the global smart textiles sector grew at an annual growth rate of 18 percent from 2004 to 2014, smart textiles grew more than 27 percent in the United States. The U.S. textile industry saw $2 billion in capital investments in 2015.Examples of smart textiles that you may find in your own closet are shirts with UV protection or athletic wear that wicks moisture. More extreme examples of smart textiles are military uniforms that can change color to blend in with the environment or can withstand major blast impacts. Medical applications are being introduced that monitor and communicate physiological changes. These materials will be able to administer drugs and detect blood clots. These types of technologies will require the presence of an extensive university research network and the ability to transfer technology to the labor force. In an effort to modernize the apparel industry, Atlanta-based SoftWear Automation Inc. recently introduced a solution called the “sewbot.”Sewing was once thought to be a delicate job only for human hands, but sewbots are using cameras to track needle stitching and coordinate precise movements of fabric using lightweight robots. If sewbots gain traction, changes could be even more drastic for the industry. The textile industry in the United States, specifically the Southeast, is poised for growth. The foundation of infrastructure that was laid for former textile facilities provides a stable environment to accommodate a rapidly changing industry. Textile and apparel markets will grow across the globe, but the United States will attract the more complex, higher-paying jobs, while providing access to one of the world’s largest consumer markets. Beth H. Land, Senior Consultant,McCallum Sweeney Consulting Beth Land is a senior consultant with McCallum Sweeney Consulting, providing site selection services and economic development consulting to companies and organizations worldwide. Land joined McCallum Sweeney Consulting in September 2014. Presently, she is providing site evaluation and labor analysis on major site location projects. She is also managing on the site readiness program for Duke Energy, as well as working with the site certification programs for the South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Tennessee Valley Authority. In her prior role as project manager for York County Economic Development in South Carolina, Land was responsible for bringing more than $655 million in capital investment and more than 8,000 new jobs to the county. Notable companies she recruited from 2011 to 2014 included LPL Financial (headquarters), Lash Group (headquarters), Exel (distribution), Shutterfly (manufacturing), UC Synergetic (headquarters), Ross (distribution), and Britax Childcare Safety, Inc. (manufacturing). Land’s prior experience also includes time in the aerospace manufacturing industry. She has a master’s in Business Administration from Wake Forest University and graduated from Clemson University with a BA in Communication Studies with a minor in German.
Source: McCallum Sweeney Consulting
KARACHI: The cotton crop in Pakistan has shown an increase of 9.81 percent to 10.72 million bales, stated the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association report on Tuesday. According to the PCGA, a total of 10.72 million bales reached the ginners by April 15, 2017, compared to 9.76 million bales during the same period last year. Of such stocks, 10.25 million bales were sold to local mills against 9.05 million bales last year. However, 202,356 bales were exported, down 44 percent against 362,141 bales exported last year. A total of 265,597 million bales remain unsold with the ginners, down against last year’s stocks of 349,776 bales. During April 1-15, the total outflow of lint remained at 1,445 bales, against last year’s flow of 6,299 bales during the same period. Number of ginning factories in operation has also decreased to seven from 16 during the same period last year. A total of 6.94 million bales were reported from Punjab, up 15.62 percent against 6.0 Million bales last year, while arrivals from Sindh remained almost flat at 3.78 million bales.
Source: The News International
Aamir Fayyaz, chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) exhorted the Chinese textile sector to invest in Pakistan by setting up joint ventures with Pakistani entrepreneurs or by relocating their facilities to Pakistan. He said the Chinese investors could take advantage of the duty free market access under the GSP+ facility. "Fayyaz was addressing a delegation of textile companies from Tianjin city of China in the APTMA Punjab office," Pakistan media reported. He also pointed to the incentives provided to textile value added exporters by the government recently, which include provision of DLTL at 4 per cent on yarn and gray fabric, 5 per cent on processed fabric, 6 per cent on textile made ups and 7 per cent on apparels against export realisation. Fayyaz also added that Pakistan's foreign investment policy allows zero per cent duty on imports of capital goods, zero per cent corporate income tax rate and 10 years corporate income tax holiday among various other subsidies.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
An FET-100 Series multifunctional laboratory melt spinning system has been supplied to the University of Massachusetts (UMass) by Leeds-based Fibre Extrusion Technology (FET). The installation was configured with a bicomponent FET-100 extrusion module, which is capable of processing a wide range of polymers, coupled to a FET-101 Multifilament drawing and winding system capable of processing a range of multifilament yarns. This will bring to UMass Lowell the capability to fabricate shaped fibres which will provide a step change in functionality compared to traditional fibres and fabrics. The total market for traditional engineered textiles is forecast to reach $84 billion in 2020 and new engineered textiles developed at UMass Lowell could address over 10% of the available market. UMass is a five-campus public university system, recognised as a model of excellence for public universities. Researchers at UMass Lowell, including Stephen Johnston and Javier Vera-Sorroche, are exploring properties such as high temperature, high strength, flame retardance, high conductivity, and super omniphobicity. The inherent flexibility and versatility of the system will allow future adaptations, such as FET-102 Nonwoven or FET-103 Monofilament, depending on future research requirements. This system design appeals to many end-users, not only allowing for upgrade in process capability but also for staged investment. “This installation reflects the collaborative policy FET holds with its clients – in this case UMass Lowell and its Plastics Engineering Department, an internationally recognized leader in plastics engineering education,” said FET Managing Director Richard Slack. “Since its launch in 2015, the FET-100 Series has exceeded all our expectations. In 2016 alone, we took orders for eight systems in varying configurations.” Established in 1998, FET is a leading supplier of laboratory and pilot melt spinning systems for high performance textile materials. It has numerous installations in the USA and supplies equipment to over 30 other countries.
Source: Innovation in Textiles
Mimaki USA, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutters, has designed a new direct-to-textile printer, TX300P-1800B, which has an advanced belt transport system to ensure stable feeding of stretchy and thin fabrics. The printer with many features of high-end direct-print models is suitable for users making samples or short-run pieces. The 74-inch wide TX300P-1800B direct-to-fabric textile printer has been designed specifically for direct-to-textile applications. It includes new print heads with a high gap setting that maintain accurate ink droplet placement and enable printing on thick or thin textiles, dimensionally unstable fabrics, woven patterns or raised fibre surfaces. Mimaki original inks are specifically designed for exceptional colour reproduction onto natural or synthetic fibres for producing fashion textiles, performance sportswear, interior décor, flags, banners, and more. The model uses an advanced textile feeding and conveyance mechanism – including rear tension bars as well as a sticky belt that ensures stable and high quality textile printing and transportation. Delivering the highest quality direct-to-fabric printing, the TX300P-1800B printer uses an embedded belt washing mechanism and belt feed compensation to clean the belt and stabilise the image quality. Mimaki original textile inks are optimised for TX300P-1800B printer. These purpose-developed Mimaki textile products provide an industry leading solution delivering consistency and reliability essential for the production of the highest quality direct-to-fabric products. Sb420, direct-to-fabric dye sublimation, Ac400, acid dye, Rc400, reactive dye, Tp400, textile pigment, Dd400, disperse dye, are all Mimaki original textile inks designed to suit specific fabric characteristics ensuring exceptional colour reproduction on either natural or synthetic fibres for producing fashion textiles, performance sportswear, interior décor, flags, banners, and more. Dye sublimation, textile pigment, reactive dye, and acid dye inks are available at the time of the machine release while disperse dye inks are planned for future release. The TX300P-1800B printer, along with its sister product the TX300P-1800 (without belt) printer will be able to accommodate two different inks in one printer. This dual ink capability gives users the ability to print onto natural materials with textile pigment inks (Tp400) or on polyester materials with sublimation dye inks (Sb420) using only one printer. Since neither Tp400 nor Sb420 inks require a steaming and washing process – resulting in an environmentally friendly production (less water usage) – this configuration simplifies the textile production and is ideal for designers, fabric workshops, education and research institutions, and entrepreneurs. Dual ink capability is expected to be available in later part of 2017, for both models.
Source: Fibre2fashion
North Carolina State University has developed a thrips forecasting tool to help cotton farmers make preplant management decisions. Thrips injury is a function of weather-driven seedling growth and thrips pressure. The tool uses planting date, temperature, precipitation and knowledge of when and how severe thrips pressure will be to predict time of risk. It is known that something preplant for thrips is needed. It can be an insecticidal seed treatment or an insecticide in-furrow. The new tool helps in making decisions on whether one should you use a seed treatment and an in-furrow, or a foliar spray. It will help planters save time and money by making them use most intensive thrips management efforts on cotton that will be planted at a time that is most at risk for thrips. “If you base a thrips spray off injury, it is usually too late to prevent damage to the crop. Immature thrips are a good sign that at-plant insecticides are running their course and a spray might be needed. Don’t forget that cotton is most sensitive to thrips damage when the 1st true leaf begins to appear between the cotyledons,” Southeast Farmpress said. Although foliar sprays at later stages may occasionally benefit yields, targeting sprays when the first true leaf appears has been proven to be the most effective, it said. This tool will give the best predictions within 10-14 days after the date it is used since it is based on weather forecasts. Therefore, it should be used two weeks before one plants. It should also be checked a few days before planting. Then, it should be used every week after planting to track damage potential until cotton is at the four leaf stage. Since the tool is based on many years of data from across the Southeast US Cotton belt and has been validated several years, it is expected to accurately forecast thrips risk to cotton.
Source: YNFX.
