Small,cottage industries report 24% rise in production

Despite border blockade and Tarai unrest, cottage and small industries reported 24 percent rise in production in the first eight months of Fiscal Year 2015/16 compared to figures of the corresponding period of last fiscal year. "Cottage and small industries produced goods worth Rs 7.39 billion in the review period," Rajendra Mishra, executive director of Cottage and Small Industries Development Board (CSIDB), told Republica, adding: "Roughly, the production has increased by 24 percent compared to figures of the same period of 2014/15." The production figure is based on production of small and cottage industries registered in 48 districts under CSIDB. Stating that production of small and cottage industries has remained largely unaffected by the blockade and Tarai unrest, Mishra said: "Not only production, there has been rise in number of new industries." According to Mishra, production of these industries was not affected due to blockade and unrest as they basically mostly use locally available resources. Statistics of CSIDB shows 320 cottage industries and 4,658 small industries have been registered in the first eight month of 2015/16. Of them, 622 industries are production-based, 41 energy-based, and 2,065 industries based on agriculture and forestry. Similarly, 48 are mineral-based industries while 1,402 such firms are involved in service business. Good thing is that 1,359 of the newly registered industries are promoted by women. Similarly, CSIDB data shows that small and cottage industries created 27,560 new jobs in the first eight months of 2015/16. Mishra further added that the board was organizing different skill-oriented trainings, entrepreneurship trainings and other guidance programs across the country to enhance skills of small entrepreneurs, and promote small and cottage industries. "We are providing skill-oriented trainings on more than 100 subjects. It is one of the reasons why man people are attracted toward small and cottage industries," added Mishra. - Source: Republica