NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of upcoming elections in northeastern states, minister of textile Smriti Irani on Tuesday elaborated on the work done by her ministry in the region. From the push given to sericulture in the region, for which an amount of Rs 690crore has been earmarked, to the setting up of 21 ready-made garment manufacturing units in seven states, the focus was on the development and modernization of textile sector by the Centre. Irani, who is also planning to visit the northeast soon - as a star campaigner as well as to participate in the hastkala sahyog shivir (camps in handloom and handicraft clusters) - said she would be focussing on the shivirs in the northeast this time around. “I started with UP and hope to visit as many shivirs as possible. This time, I am planning on going to the northeast clusters,” said Irani, who added that the camps will be held between February 19 to 24. The project, added the textile minister, is likely to give a big push to creating more jobs, especially for women in the region, while also leading to enhancement of infrastructure in the N-E like roads, power, water supply and construction of offices. According to the handloom census 2009-10, there are 23.77 lakh handlooms in the country of which 16.47 lakh handlooms (69.28 per cent) are in the NE region. Irani said that 21 readymade garment manufacturing units have already become fully operational in the seven states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura. The one in Sikkim is under construction. “Three factories have become fully operational in each of the seven states in a record time of two years,” said Irani, adding that each factory employs around 1,200 people, mainly women. “The factories are owned by local entrepreneurs and agencies like the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, Arvind Mills and Apparel Export Promotion Council are guiding the entrepreneurs as part of the pilot project,” added the minister. Under the scheme, the ministry has provided Rs 18 crore fund to each readymade garment manufacturing unit while NBCC has constructed the units and the state governments provided 1.5 acre land. Irani also spoke about initiatives like the 39 per cent increase in allocation for remission of state levies (ROSL) in the budget, which she said would help boost textile export. The dudget allocation for ROSL scheme has been raised to to Rs 2,163.85 crore from Rs 1,555 crore in 2017-18. Allocations under the technology upgradation fund scheme (TUFS) have also been increased by 15 per cent in the Budget, she said, adding that the Rs 6,000-crore package announced for apparel sector last year, and 39 percent increase in ROSL would help push the exports. The minister added that in the past one year, the government has given the industry close to Rs 1,800 crore as a part of this package and a payment of Rs 300 crore is in the pipeline for this financial year.
Source: The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Our Bureau The Textiles Ministry is working on finalising the long-pending National Textiles Policy, but the government is not yet ready to give out a time-line for its announcement. “Following our consultations with various expert groups and industry representatives, three-four things had come up and three different steering committees were made,” said Textiles Minister Smriti Irani at a press conference on Tuesday. These groups are trying to find ways to address various challenges being faced by the sector including identifying natural fibre growth possibilities and global best practices and roping in States for proper certification of jute seeds, she added. “When we are ready to announce the textiles policy we will let you know,” Irani told reporters. The proposed national textiles policy, which has been under discussions for several years, was initially reported to have set a target of achieving $300 billion textile exports by 2024-25, and creating around 35 million new jobs.
Export scenario
When asked whether she was concerned over the recent decline in garments exports, Irani said that the Economic Survey had highlighted that the incentive package for apparels had increased exports by 16 per cent, which was very encouraging. The pending textiles policy notwithstanding, the Textiles Ministry was continuously identifying the biggest needs of the industry and addressing them, Irani said. “Big steps have already been taken such as announcement of the package for garments sector, enhancement under MEIS (Merchandise Export from India Scheme) and outreach for weavers and the artisan community,” she said.
North-East thrust
Development and modernisation of the textile sector in the North-Eastern States were being given the highest priority by the Textiles Ministry, Irani pointed out. This will create more jobs, especially for women of that region and also improve the infrastructure of North-Eastern states such as roads, power, water supply and construction of offices, she said.There are 23.77 lakh handlooms in the country of which 16.47 lakh handlooms (69.28 per cent) are in the North-East region as per the Handloom Census of 2009-10. Twenty-one ready-made garment manufacturing units are fully operational in the seven States of the North-East.“Three factories have become fully operational in each of the seven States in a record time of two years,” Irani said.
Source: Business Line
OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — On 9th February 2018 KARL MAYER welcomed the Indian Minister of State for Textiles, Mr. Ajay Tamta, at its Development Center in Obertshausen. The government representative was accompanied by Mr. Anant Kumar Singh, Secretary Government of India, Ministry of Textiles, and by other delegates from the Ministry and Consulate General. The Indian Minister took the opportunity of a business trip to Germany to learn more about the products and the manufacture of one of the most important textile machinery builders of the knitwear industry with successful business activities in India. India‘s textile and clothing industry is on a clear growth course. The sector shows an annual plus of 12%.KARL MAYER has been working with Indian textile companies for many years. “India is an important market for us“, explained Dr. Helmut Preßl, KARL MAYER’s CFO, when he welcomed the guests. In 2014 KARL MAYER opened its own plant in Ahmedabad, and started its own value creation in the Indian market. Today, KARL MAYER with roughly 80 highly qualified staff members and with its longstanding, experienced regional agent A.T.E. is successfully operating on site. For its business planning until 2023, the enterprise expects a continuing, above-average growth rate. The desired success should especially be ensured by new technologies, which do not only support improvements in productivity but also the change of the textile industry to sustainability.All these new and innovative aspects could be shown to the government delegation during a presentation of machines and end-uses at KARL MAYER’s headquarters. The visitors were impressed by the high output of the machines and by the top quality of the fabrics. Some of the highlights were, among other things, solutions for sustainability such as the LOW ENERGY OPTION (LEO), which ensures significant energy savings during machine operation, and the innovative sizing machine PROSIZE®, which requires considerably less sizing agent than conventional equivalent types. But KARL MAYER does not only offer innovative machines but also textile developments ensuring success on the market. The innovative textiles, for example elastic and rigid lingery articles or fabrics for activewear and clothing, can be produced on the KARL MAYER machines in a most efficient way and in wide-ranging designs. The secret behind this unique performance could be shown to the guests on a tour of the new assembly hall that was set up in 2017. Learning from each other and cooperating with each other are important factors for the upcoming Indian textile and clothing industry, this was the unanimous opinion during the final discussion. KARL MAYER as world market leader is a strong partner in this respect.
Source: Textile World
For all exports made with effect from July 1, 2017 for which higher rate of drawback is claimed, exporters have to submit the self-declaration in the format given in CBEC Circular no.32/2017-Cus dated. We are merchant exporters. We exported certain goods without GST payment under letter of undertaking. Some of these were purchased on payment of excise during pre-GST era and some after July 1, 2017 on payment of GST. On export of these goods we have claimed duty drawback at higher composite rates for exports made between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2017. We have not claimed refund of unutilised input tax credit. Is that OK?As per CBEC Circular no. 22/2017-Cus dated June 30, 2017, the conditions imposed for claiming composite rates aim to ensure that exporters do not claim composite AIRs of duty drawback and simultaneously avail input tax credit of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), or Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) on export goods, or on inputs and input services used in the manufacture of export goods, or claim refund of IGST paid on export goods. Further, an exporter claiming composite rate shall also be barred from carrying forward Cenvat credit on the export goods or on inputs or input services used in manufacture of export goods in terms of the CGST Act, 2017. For all exports made with effect from July 1, 2017 for which higher rate of drawback is claimed, exporters have to submit the self-declaration in the format given in CBEC Circular no.32/2017-Cus dated July 27, 2017. We refer to notification 3/2018-Central Tax dated January 23, 2018, which amends the GST Rules, 2017. The amended Rule 96(10) says that the persons claiming refund of integrated tax paid on exports of goods or services should not have received supplies on which the supplier has availed the benefit (besides other notifications) of notification No. 79/2017-Customs dated October 13, 2017. Now, the notification 79/2017 amends many notifications applicable to several types of advance authorisations and even EPCG authorisations. Does it mean that if a supplier has taken the benefit of any of the notifications mentioned in notification 79/2017, the exporter cannot pay IGST on his export goods and claim refund?Yes. The essence of the part of GST Rules amendment that you refer to is that as an exporter, if you procure goods from a supplier who takes the benefit of advance authorisation or EPCG authorisation as provided in notification 79/2017, you must export under LUT. There is more in that amendment. If the supplier claims refund of GST paid on deemed export supplies made to you or if he happens to be an EOU who takes the benefit of notification 78/2017-Cus dated October 13, 2017, then also you cannot export on payment of IGST under a refund claim. Also, a merchant exporter who procures export goods at 0.1 per cent GST must export under LUT. There is lots of confusion in the trade on account of this amendment to the said GST Rules made with retrospective effect from October 23, 2017. The status of exports already made on payment of IGST is not known. If you have received refund of it, you may be asked to surrender the same with interest.
Source: Business Standard
The State Government of Tamil Nadu (India) is likely to announce its new textile policy soon. This was indicated by K. Phanindra Reddy, Principal Secretary (Textiles, Handlooms, Handicrafts and Khadi), who was recently in Tirupur, the knitwear hub of India, to inaugurate the ‘Textile Research Conclave’. The event was organised by Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA), Indian Texpreneurs Federation (ITF) and NIFT-TEA Knitwear Institute. The Principal Secretary also informed that an all-inclusive roadmap on the textile research activities will be a key part of the new textile policy. A series of programmes is being organised in the state to promote technical textiles production. A workshop on technical textiles to motivate young entrepreneurs is also under consideration, informed Reddy while speaking at the textile event. In August last year, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister EK Palaniswami also announced that the Government would formulate a new integrated textile policy for the state, however, nothing has surfaced so far. The textile industry in Tamil Nadu is the forerunner in industrial development and provides massive employment to the people of the state. According to Department of Handloom and Textile’s website, Tamil Nadu is home to 893 mills out of the total 2,049 large and medium textile mills in India.
Source: Apparel Resources News-Desk
The area under cotton cultivation in the state has gone up to 3.83 lakh hectares from 2.56 lakh. Cotton production in the state is unlikely to meet the estimated figure of 12 lakh bales this year and may fall short by 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh bales due to inclement weather and low availability of canal water.Talking to The Tribune, former North India Cotton Association president Ashok Kapur said, “Initially, it was estimated that the state’s cotton production will touch 12 lakh bales this year. However, as the season proceeded, the estimates were revised and now we are hoping that it will be somewhere between 10.5 lakh and 11 lakh bales.” He attributed the higher estimates at the start of the season to the fact that the area under cotton cultivation had gone up considerably in the state. Overall, the area under cotton cultivation in the state had increased from 2.56 lakh hectares to 3.83 lakh hectares. In Bathinda, it shot up from 97,000 hectares to 1.3 lakh hectares, from 32,000 hectares to 64,608 hectares in Muktsar and from 67,000 hectares to 86,000 hectares in Mansa. According to him, the cotton production of the region, including Punjab, Haryana and Ganganagar circle of Rajasthan, is likely to be around 45 lakh bales. Out of this, Haryana will account for 24 lakh bales and Ganganagar circle for 10 lakh bales. He hoped that the state’s farmers would continue cotton farming in the next season as well, as they got remunerative prices for their produce, which touched Rs 5,500 per quintal mark this season. Dr GS Romana, senior farm economist, PAU, said, “Cotton production may have been hit this time, as weather conditions were not conducive for it. The entire month of July was almost dry and the monsoon got delayed, which prompted the farmers to irrigate their crop more. Besides, it came to our notice that some farmers also used tubewell water, which is brackish, during pre-sowing irrigation. We don’t recommend this as high temperature coupled with brackish water leads to cotton burning.” He, however, felt that the state has done fairly well in terms of cotton production this year. On the other hand, though farmers are more or less satisfied with the prices cotton fetched, they say it failed to meet their expectations. “We were expecting that the cotton prices will at least cross Rs 6,000 per quintal mark, but it barely managed to touch Rs 5,500. Besides, the low yield too has taken a toll on our returns,” said Jagtar Singh, a farmer from Naruana village. At present, the cotton prices are hovering between Rs 5,200 and Rs 5,300 per quintal.
Source: The Tribune
HYDERABAD: The first zonal fair of the Apparel Manufacturers of India, held at Hyderabad, has generated more than Rs 75 crore of business. The four-day fair held at Hitex Exhibition Centre saw the participation of over 3,500 visitors from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, who together placed orders worth Rs 75 crore. Ethos, Geevankee, Era, Final Choice, Torso Shirts, Diya Design Studio, Big Brother, Hansi, Fayon Troupe and Femi Designs were among brands that participated. These brands have been allied with AMI since the last 12 editions and continue to do so. Nikhil Furia, Key Organiser, Apparel Manufacturers of India, in a statement said, “This was the first time we conducted a zonal fair and are overwhelmed with the support we have received.” The AMI’s aim is to bridge the gap between manufacturers, retailers, agents and suppliers, build a robust community and facilitate trade. They work in sync in the entire value chain. AMI has conducted five fairs in Chennai, six in Kochi and one fair in Hyderabad in the last three years.
Source: Business Line
The Indian Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is mulling different ways to popularise ‘Khadi’ in the overseas markets. It is also considering to hold textile fairs to display the Indian khadi fabric in foreign countries as it is mulling to market this segment globally and brand it as “Cloth of India”. Other than fairs, MoUs are the major ways that the Ministry is mulling as the means for the promotion of the fabric out of India by collaborating with the brands, this was reportedly disclosed by an official of the MSME Ministry. “The MoUs between Indian exporters and overseas importers will help in increasing exports of Khadi garments,” added the official. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), a body formed by Indian Government, has also initiated a dialogue process with the industry associations out of India to start franchisee outlets. These outlets will sell Khadi products sourced from various parts of the country. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also has the vision to make khadi a global brand as it would help rural artisans to increase their income. The Indian Government has sought help from the United Nations in promoting Khadi. In the beginning of this year, the KVIC came up with a new store concept called ‘Khadi Korner’ that will be rolled out under the shop-in-shop model in partnership with modern retail chain stores. The first Khadi Korner has been launched with Globus, a Mumbai-based retail clothing store chain and a part of Raheja Group.
Source: Apparel Resources,
New Delhi: The World University of Design (WUD) in association with The Textile Department of IIT Delhi organised International Conference on Functional Textiles & Clothing 2018 in the capital. The conference took place from 10th – 11th February at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in New Delhi. The Conference was aimed to encourage design, innovation and product development activities amongst the youth.
The conference was addressed by leading voices from the industry and academia who gave their expert insights on cutting edge technologies, innovations, trends, concerns, challenges and opportunities in the field of Functional and Smart textiles and Clothing. Topics of the conference include – Protective Textiles and Clothing Medical Textiles and Clothing Athletic, Extreme Sports & Military Applications Smart, Functional & Interactive Textiles, Workwear, Surface Functionalization and Coatings, Textile and Clothing Machinery, CAD, CAE Technologies & Mass Customization, Garment Design and Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing, Innovative Fashion Design Methodologies, Comfort Science, Education and Training, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Supply chain Management, Sustainable Production, Recycling. Over 170 researchers from over 80 universities/ institutions worldwide presented their work at the conference. Prof. V Ramgopal Rao, Director IIT gave the presidential address to the esteemed gathering. Prof Vladan Koncar, Professor and Head of Research, ENSAIT, France delivered the key note address. Dr Sanjay Gupta, Vice Chancellor of World University of Design said “The conference focuses on innovation in textiles and fashion. Papers were presented at the conference in different areas of Functional Textiles and Fashion Design, Sustainability etc. If we look at any commercialized innovation, new product or design, it is always the combination of technology & design that makes it into a product which the consumer finds good to wear, to use or to apply. Along with the technical innovation, the product also needs the empathy of a designer for it to take shape. The conference is an attempt to bring together scientists and engineers on one end with designers and innovators on the other.” Prof Vladan Koncar, Professor and Head of Research, ENSAIT (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Industries Textiles) said, “I congratulate World University of Design in taking this initiative of bringing together such a large group of researchers together in the fast emerging field of functional clothing. Research and development in these areas is now at par with other high-tech industrial sectors and the innovations are finding applications in casual and fashion clothing thus integrating the fields of technology, design and fashion. India with its excellent manufacturing, research & design capabilities is ideally placed to take advantage of this development. ” Mr Ramgopal Rao, Director at IIT, Delhi said, “In textile while there are lots of things that are required to happen in technology, there are two things which are not happening. First thing is that the industries are not interacting with researchers. There is so much happening in terms of technology development but the industry does not come forward. The second issue is a manifestation of this, where the students are not excited to do work in textiles for lack of challenges. Textiles will go through a major transformation in coming future but the industries in India are all very traditional. One of the things which we need to do therefore is to have more of start-up activities around textiles. For Example, Textiles department have launched a product Genes with Nano coating which are anti-bacterial & stain resistant. To inform students about the opportunity in textiles and what sort of start-up opportunities exist is the need of the hour. Connecting students with these innovations and industries is important.” In addition to technical papers, the conference has announced Innovation Contests for students in Textile and Fashion Products. There was poster contest for students. Manufacturers dealing in functional products, smart textiles, wearables and other such products were displayed in the exhibition.
Source: India Education Diary
The import of man-made fibres such as polyester staple, viscose, and tencel is on the rise as a substitute for cotton as their demand is increasing amid changes in global fashion trend. Bangladesh imported 78,208 tonnes of polyester staple fibre in 2016, up 11.39 percent from 70,209 tonnes in 2015 and 35.72 percent from 51,729 tonnes in 2014, according to data from Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA). The import of viscose staple fibre was recorded at 29,146 tonnes in 2016, slightly down from 29,538 tonnes in 2015. From January to June of 2017, the volume was 16,063 tonnes, the data showed. In 2014, Bangladesh imported 18,115 tonnes of viscose staple fibre. Imports of tencel, a fibre made of trees and leaves, stood at 5,034 tonnes in 2016 and 6,199 tonnes the previous year. “The import of man-made fibre is increasing every year,” said Monsoor Ahmed, secretary of the BTMA. Razeeb Haider, managing director of Outpace Spinning Mills Ltd, said the demand for any kind of yarn and fabrics depends on buyers' choice. Recently, the demand for man-made fibres has increased from the buyers' end. “So, there is a rise in import,” he said. According to the spinner, the durability and the longevity of artificial fibres are higher than cotton-made yarn and fabrics. “That's why the demand for man-made items is going up.” If garments made from man-made fibres are not washed for many days their quality will not deteriorate or over-wash will not compromise the quality, Haider said. Abdullah Al Mahmud Mahin, managing director of Hamid Fabrics Ltd, said with the rise of high-end smart fashion markets worldwide, the demand for man-made fibres is increasing. The number of factories producing artificial fibres also went up. Alone the polyester fibre production units rose to 52 from 10 to 12 seven years ago. There are 45 viscose staple fibre mills and 10 tencel factories. Globally, the ratio of man-made fibre has gone up compared to cotton fibre, although the latter is still the main item for spinners, Ahmed of the BTMA said. The ratio of the cotton-made yarn and the artificial one rose to nearly 80:20, whereas it was 90:10 even five years ago. The global ratio of cotton and man-made fibre use is 28:72, with the balance heavily tilting towards the artificial fabric, thanks to lower price, improved functionality, and ease of use, according to International Textile Manufacturers Federation. Mahin said many Chinese and Taiwanese investors are interested to invest in man-made fibre production in Bangladesh. Almost all sportswear items are made from artificial fabrics. In 2016-17, Bangladesh imported about 10 million tonnes of cotton to feed its vast garment sector.
Source: The Daily Star
The government is going to set up a "textile village” on 28 acres of land belonging to Tangail Cotton Mills under Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC) through a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative. Ramisa Group has proposed to develop the village at Mirzapur in Tangail at an estimated cost of about Tk 1,200 crore. The cabinet committee on economic affairs recently approved in principle Ramisa's proposal as an unsolicited bidder. An official of the textiles and jute ministry said the approval does not mean that the company has got the final nod. Now the ministry will invite competitive bidding and Ramisa will have to participate, said the official, adding that the group would, however, get some bonus points for the approval. He said the PPP authority scrutinised Ramisa's proposal and it has been sent from the cabinet committee on that basis. The official said the prime minister issued a directive for installing modern machinery at the mills that were closed down. He said the Tangail mill's land was being grabbed as it had remained closed. The existing land is valued at Tk 219 crore. Those who get the job of setting up the composite mill will have to make an annual payment to the BTMC for the latter being the landowner. Ramisa, in its proposal, said the village would create employment for about 10,000 people while about $14 million could be annually earned through exporting knit and woven garments. Of the estimated Tk 1,200 crore cost, Ramisa plans to bring in foreign investors and take bank loans. Ramisa said it would completely be a green project with most of the unusable construction being dismantled and others being constructed as required while keeping provisions for landscaping and providing other facilities. It said the project was envisaged to be a composite textile mill having facilities for production of yarn, spinning, dyeing, sizing, weaving, washing, finishing and garments making.
Source: The Daily Star
The Textile, Garment and Leather Employees Union (TEGLU) is demanding a 50% reduction in prices of utilities to save the sector from total collapse. The call comes at a time when the Public Utility and Regulatory Commission (PURC) is holding talks with stakeholders for a possible review of prices of utilities. It is not clear yet if the prices will go upwards or downwards. While it appreciates attempts by the government to raise revenue, the union in a statement said the sector cannot wait for experiments through the implementation of the tax stamp regime. Rather, it called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, remove VAT on locally produced textile prints in order to save local textile manufacturing companies from collapse. TEGLU also wants a joint task force to monitor compliance of all activities of importers and to prevent the influx of cheap textiles into the country. According to the statement signed by the General Secretary of TEGLU Abraham Koomson, local textile manufacturing companies have already sent home about 90 percent of their workers due to the influx of pirated wax prints, high taxes and statutory levies as well as high cost of raw materials and utilities. Mr Koomson said the remaining textile workers will soon hit the streets if the government does not review the operations of the task force. "The resuscitation of the textile industry will be dependent on effective policy by government devoid of experimental measures at this stage of decline of the manufacturing sector," he said.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
Ghana’s Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) has urged the government to urgently stop the piracy of local textiles and influx of cheap foreign prints in the market to sustain the industry. According to union general secretary Solomon Stephen Ashalley Kotei, piracy is slowly smothering and strangulating the local textile industry. Criticising the government for being unable to curtail negative foreign influence on the Ghanian textile industry, Kotei urged it to attack piracy with absolute commitment and seriousness without being a spectator. He was speaking recently at the inauguration ceremony of ICU’s local union at Tex Styles Ghana Limited (TSG), formerly known as Ghana Textile Printing (GTP), in Tema. Ghanaian markets are over-flooded with cheap, inferior and pirated Chinese textile prints, he was quoted as saying by media reports in Ghana. As several appeals to the government to step in to save the local textile industry have not been heeded to, a coalition of textile companies will mobilize both their management and workers to demand protection rather than plead, he said. The majority of textile products in the Ghanaian market are now smuggled and counterfeited and if this continues, the situation would turn worse, TSG managing director Erik Vander Staaij said.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
The Labour Ministry’s National Committee for Health and Work Safety held its first meeting yesterday pledging to investigate the reasons for faintings amongst factory workers. Labour Minister Ith Samheng, who is also the chairman of the committee, told reporters after the meeting that the ministry and stakeholders had agreed to prevent fainting, in line with recommendations from Prime Minister Hun Sen. “The committee includes the government, employers and unions. We also invited relevant parties from the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation’s Better Factories Cambodia programme,” Mr Samheng said. He said the committee would try to reduce fainting among workers to as little as possible, or eradicate it completely. “We will create a regulation for relevant institutes to follow in order to stop fainting and we will educate our workers about the issue,” Mr Samheng said. Last week, the Prime Minister called for an investigation into why workers continue to faint en masse in factories. “We should expand our investigations into the phenomenon of people fainting,” said Mr Hun Sen. “We should study this phenomenon to find a solution.” The number of garment workers who fainted in 2017 increased 38 percent if compared with 2016, with 22 factories hit by fainting incidents. A total of 1,603 workers fainted in 2017, of which 1,599 were women, according to a report from the National Social Security Fund. The report said the main reasons for workers fainting included pesticides being sprayed on nearby rice fields, strong chemical glues used in footwear factories, steam from boilers, poor environments around the factories, malnutrition, poor ventilation within the workplace, stress, and sometimes the belief in supernatural forces. Mr Samheng added that committee officials would attend factories where fainting cases happened. Tun Sophorn, ILO’s national coordinator, said his organisation was cooperating with the ministry, employers and workers in the garment sector to prevent fainting. He said ILO was studying the causes of fainting in order to educate workers.“The main things that can be done to prevent fainting is making sure that workers are getting good nutrition, ventilating the workplace, keeping factory temperatures down and reducing chemical exposure,” Mr Sophorn said. He added that workers travelling on overcrowded trucks were also at risk of fainting. Mr Samheng warned factory owners around the country that they would face legal action if large groups of workers fainted during working hours.
Source: Khmer Times
Some 3,300 exhibitors from around 20 countries covering all apparel fabrics and accessories product groups are expected at the Spring Edition of the industry’s most comprehensive sourcing platform for the spring/summer season, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, during March 14-16, 2018. A special feature of the fair will be the PremiumWool Zone. The zone will represent mills from countries like the UK, Italy and France. It will also have over 180 domestic wool suppliers. Much of the demand for high-end wool at the fair comes from Chinese buyers thanks to growing affluence in the country. This is evidenced by the fact that Australian wool prices are at record highs this season, with China accounting for over 70 per cent of Australian wool exports. What’s more, whereas 15 to 20 years ago most wool imported by China was re-exported, nowadays around 60 per cent is used to produce garments for the domestic market. Intertextile’s number one position in China ensures that high-end domestic buyers are in abundance. “The buyer professionalism here is surprisingly high,” Bob McAuley, Huddersfield Fine Worsteds’ president, explained last October. “We’re looking specifically for tailors and menswear specialty stores, and these type of buyers are definitely present.” Speaking about domestic market trends, he continued: “Retailers are not able to put all fashion in stores, so the made-to-measure market is growing, especially in China. I’m surprised each edition how many new high-end Chinese brands we meet at this fair. There are more menswear specialty stores opening here, whereas in the US, for example, the move is more towards going direct-to-consumer and online.” Some of the notable overseas brands participating this edition include Abraham Moon & Sons, Aris Industrial, Dechamps, Dormeuil, Dugdale Bros & Co, Ferla, Fratelli Piacenza, Holland & Sherry, Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, Lanificio F.lli Cerruti DAL 1881 and Scabal. Precious metals such as gold and silver are known to have been worked into garments as long as 3,000 years ago, when they were hammered into extremely thin sheets then cut into ribbons. Modern technology has made this process much simpler. One of these is combining wool and silver, which Holland & Sherry will exhibit. Their Argento collection of Super 200's wool fabrics applies a state of the art silver ion technology finish to superfine merino wool. This combination provides effective antibacterial protection, counteracting bacterial odour formation and keeping the fabrics hygienic and fresh. And because the conductive properties of silver prevent the build-up of static charge, the fabrics also benefit from anti-static properties. Some companies will come up with new or updated collections. Abraham Moon & Sons will showcase new fabrics at the fair for spring / summer ‘19 designed by Creative Director Martin Aveyard, which takes in categories of classic, casual and contemporary, with a unique use of worsted, linen and cashmere combinations.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
The National Cotton Council (NCC) found growers intend to plant 13.1 million acres to cotton in 2018—up 3.7% over 2017, according to a recent planting intentions survey. Upland cotton will likely see the bigger jump by 3.8% over last season to 12.8 million acres. Extra-long staple will grow, too, up to 254,000 acres for a 1% increase. While this could mean a larger cotton crop, there is still a long season with weather and other obstacles ahead.“Planted acreage is just one of the factors that will determine supplies of cotton and cottonseed,” says Jody Campiche, NCC vice president. Assuming abandonment at 15% for the U.S. the Cotton Belt harvest area will total 11.1 million acre, she adds. If her estimates are correct, cotton could produce 19.4 million bales—18.7 million upland and 744,000 extra-long staple bales. These estimates are based on an average yield at 842 pounds per acre and Campiche’s estimated harvested acres.
Each state and region response varied with planting intentions:
• Southeast- 2.3% increase in upland cotton to 2.6 million acres
• Alabama- 0.8% more cotton by taking acres out of wheat, soybeans and “other crops”
• Florida- greater cotton acres and fewer soybeans and “other crops”
• Georgia- 0.6% increase in cotton acres and less corn and “other crops” (peanuts likely)
• North Carolina- 8.2% increase in cotton with fewer soybeans
• South Carolina- 3.4% more cotton with less corn
• Virginia- expect 3.1% greater cotton acres by taking from wheat and “other crops”
• Mid-South-0.1% decrease to 1.9 million acres
• Mississippi- 5.5% less cotton in 2018
• Tennessee- 1.5% increase in cotton acres by stealing from corn and wheat
• Missouri- increasing cotton acres by 3.8% with less corn and soybeans
• Louisiana- planting 2.6% less cotton
• Southwest-5.7% increase to 8 million acres
• Kansas- 55.3% more cotton, coming out of corn and soybeans
• Oklahoma- 21% increase in cotton with decreased wheat acres
• Texas- 3.7% more cotton and less corn and “other crops”
• Far West-6.8% decrease to 293,000 upland cotton acres
Source: Agroprofessional.com
MINNEAPOLIS – Tens of thousands of soybean and cotton farmers across the country are taking free but mandatory training in how to properly use a weed killer blamed for drifting and damaging crops in neighboring fields. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required the training and other restrictions last fall in a deal with three major agribusiness companies — Monsanto, BASF and DuPont. All three make special formulations of dicamba for use on new soybean and cotton varieties that are genetically engineered to resist the herbicide, using seed technology commercialized by Monsanto. The products are increasingly popular because they give farmers a new weapon against aggressive weeds such as pigweed that have become resistant to other herbicides such as glyphosate, also known as Roundup. Farmers have used dicamba on a smaller scale for decades. Its tendency to vaporize and drift led the three companies to develop less-volatile formulations for dicamba-tolerant crops, which came into widespread use last year. But farmers who planted older, non-resistant varieties and didn't use dicamba soon began reporting damage to their crops and blamed nearby farms that did use it. "It takes focus and time to learn to apply a new product. ... Training and education is critical," said Scott Partridge, Monsanto's vice president for global strategy. The in-person training sessions are kicking into high gear this month and in March. Monsanto is confident that the training will sharply reduce drift problems this season, Partridge said. Over 91 percent of "off-target applications" last season were a result of farmers not following the label instructions, he said. In Georgia, where training was already mandatory, he said, the state received no complaints of dicamba drift last year. Monsanto held its first of several sessions in Minnesota on Monday. The company expects to hold several thousand nationwide eventually, Partridge said. BASF and DuPont are making similar pushes across farm country. The manufacturers are conducting the sessions in 26 states, while government agencies in seven others hold similar trainings. The trainings cover everything from choosing the right spray nozzles, sprayer heights, proper pressures, spray rig speeds, wind speeds and other weather conditions, and best practices for cleaning equipment. They last only about 1½ hours, but he said that's sufficient to drive home the key points because Monsanto also provides a technical support phone number and other tools. For farmers who don't have the proper nozzles, Monsanto plans to hand out over 1 million, free of charge. It will also roll out a smartphone app to give farmers real-time weather conditions for their fields. Nearly 26 million acres were planted in dicamba-tolerant varieties last year, including over 20 million acres of soybeans. Monsanto expects the number of dicamba-tolerant soybean acres will likely double this year, Partridge said, based on the demand the company is seeing from growers. Tests by both Monsanto and independent academic researchers show a 5.7 bushel-per-acre yield increase compared with another popular weed control system for soybeans, he said. "We're excited about it and want to do everything we can to make sure that folks have the best experience possible in 2018," Partridge said. The new federal restrictions, which made dicamba a "restricted use pesticide," limit its use to days when winds are under 10 mph and include new record-keeping requirements. But some states have imposed additional restrictions. Arkansas had the most crop-damage complaints in the country last year at nearly 1,000 and adopted the toughest rules. The state banned dicamba in most cases from April 16-Oct. 31, which essentially rules out using it on soybeans. Monsanto has sued to block that ban from taking effect. Minnesota, which received 253 complaints, set a June 20 cutoff date and prohibited applications on days when temperatures exceed 85 degrees. North Dakota cuts off applications at June 30 or the crop's first bloom phase, whichever comes first. Mike Petefish, who farms around 5,000 acres near Claremont in Dodge County of southern Minnesota, said he expects the training sessions will be popular. Farmers generally accept the new restrictions, he said. "I know farmers are really concerned about keeping the product," said Petefish, also president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association. "I know that for some who have serious herbicide resistance problems with weeds, there really isn't any other product available." Gregg Regimbal, a pesticide manager with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, said the training material "certainly looks thorough to me." Training offered in one state will be accepted in the other states that allow the companies to conduct it, he said. Monsanto and other manufacturers are being sued by farmers who say their crops were damaged by the herbicide last year. Many of those cases have been consolidated in federal court in St. Louis, Missouri. An Arkansas jury in December convicted a man of second-degree murder in the shooting of a farmer who accused him of using dicamba and damaging his crops.
Source: Fox News
USTER, Switzerland — Uster Technologies AG expands its competencies in quality control and strengthens its product portfolio. USTER has signed a binding, friendly agreement to acquire Elbit Vision Systems Ltd. (EVS), a world-leading high-technology supplier for automated vision inspection in the textile industry. EVS’s products are used to automatically locate, label and trace defects of fabric and web products, and ultimately to grade the quality and determine the value of the produced goods. Closing of the transaction is expected by May 2018. Thomas Nasiou, Chief Executive Officer of USTER, said: “The acquisition fits perfectly into our vision to be the world’s leading supplier of quality solutions for the textile industry from fiber to fabric. It shows once again our commitment to continuously invest in cutting-edge technology and foster our culture of innovation. EVS and USTER’s combined technology will offer all our customers more potential for further automation and improvement for increased and sustainable performance.”
Source: Textile World
Green Theme International claims to have found a way to waterproof clothing without polluting the environment. Remember when Gortex came out? A Portland start-up company says it has the next best thing Green Theme International claims to have found a way to waterproof clothing without polluting the environment. "It's a super green product, we have zero waste stream," said Martin Flora, the company's founder and CEO. Here's how its technology works: Instead of washing the fabric in a bath of chemicals, which is the more common practice, GTI's system bonds chemicals directly to the fabric's fibers using pressure and heat. "The current water repellent fabrics are just washed on the surface," explained Flora. "What we do is we take it and actually push it into the actually yarns." It's a process, Flora said not only creates a better product, but also protects the environment. The chemicals won’t wash off over time and the process doesn't generate any waste water. "We're able to deliver a waste-free fabric treatment process," Flora said. "It is the next generation of what to expect from your clothing." Currently the Marmot brand is using the technology on some of its rain gear. But GTI is also in talks with several other outdoor clothing brands and fashion lines.
Source: kgw.com
