The Hindu Business Line : Textile exports may fall short of targeted $13 b

Though the percentage of the shortfall in the exports is yet to be known, we are almost certain now that the export performance would be slightly less than the targeted, though we may be able to touch last year's $11.7 billion exports, Mr S.B. Mohapatra, Secretary in the Union Ministry of Textiles, has said.

Talking to presspersons at the sidelines of a commemorative lecture on the `Prospects of textile industry after 2004' held here on Friday under the aegis of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, Mr Mohapatra said that the continued firming rupee against the dollar had been one of the factors responsible for the value erosion of textiles exports.

Though the sector had recorded 10 per cent growth, the 11 per cent appreciation shown by the rupee had blunted the export growth.

He felt that though the Government could not intervene in the exchange rate which is the function of the economy, the adverse implication caused by the appreciating rupee could be off-set through ameliorative/facilitation measures such as cheaper packing credit, lower power cost for manufacture and lower freight cost. Mr Mohapatra said his Ministry had wanted to give a push to early use of information technology in the area of cotton cultivation and market to support the cotton growers' direct participation in cotton marketing yard activities.

The special software package which would enable the cotton farmers accessing the Internet at village market yards had already been developed and the training of the farmers using the IT system would be carried out with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research officials.

The launch of the IT package for the cotton farmers could not be put through due to the impending Parliament elections, he added.

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