Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN) -- an umbrella organisation of handicraft producers and exporters that released the latest export data -- has attributed the rise to increased prurchases of handicraft goods by the tourists visiting the country.[break]
Nonetheless, Nepali handicraft items found market in well over five dozen countries between mid-July to mid-October 2010, says the report.
"Increased tourist arrivals and participation in international trade fairs by Nepali traders caused positive impact on exports of handicraft products, particularly woollen goods, dhaka products, metal crafts and felt products," said Hari Bahadur Karki, vice-president of FHAN.
Of all handicraft items, exports of textile products have jumped by 4.4 percent to Rs 465.53 million and and non-textile products by 27.91 percent to Rs 437.99 million.
Among textile products, exports of woollen goods, felt products and Dhaka products have increased. Mainly traders of woollen goods succeeded to increase their exports by around 25 percent. With this, export of woollen goods touched Rs 199.07 million in the first quarter of 2010, becoming largest handicraft exports of the country.
"Demand for woollen goods has increased in overseas markets during this winter," said Karki.
However, exports of pashmina products, the previous largest handicraft export of the country, slumped by more than 34 percent during the period.
FHAN figures show Nepal managed to export Pashmina worth just Rs 101.25 million during the first quarter this year, whereas its exports in the same period last year was over Rs 154 million.
Traders of silk products, cotton goods, hemp goods and allo goods also suffered a decline in their export earning.
The controversy over blending of toxic chemical -- cadmium -- and paucity of silver in domestic market too led to the fall in export of silver jewellery, the fourth largest handicraft exporting item. During the first three months of 2010/11, silver jewellery suffered a fall of 4.68 percent, which is Rs 115.68 million.
Exports of other non-textile handicraft items like metal crafts, handmade paper, woodcraft, bone and horn products, ceramics, incense and bead items, on the other hand, recorded a substantial jump.
For instance, export of metal craft, which commands more than 18 percent of total handicraft exports, shot up by 81 percent to Rs 164.60 million during the period.
As usual, the US was the largest importer of Nepali handicraft items.
According to FHAN, Nepal exported Rs 261.27 million worth of handicraft items to the US during the first quarter. Exports to Tibet stood at Rs 87.99 million and to Germany Rs 74.42 million.
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