Handicrafts Trade Fair slated to start Nov 20
KATHMANDU, AUG 22 -
The 12th edition of the Handicrafts Trade Fair is scheduled to be held from November 20 at the Bhrikuti Mandap Exhibition Hall. Organised by the Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (Fhan), the expo aims to promote and brand handicrafts in the domestic and international markets.
The theme of the four-day exhibition is Handicrafts Our Product: Our Pride. It will feature 200 stalls showcasing various handicraft items like woodcraft, metal craft, silver craft, felt items, Dhaka cloth, cotton garments, pashmina, handmade paper, leather products and bamboo items, among others. According to the organiser, a handicraft competition of silver products and woodcraft will be a major attraction of the fair.
District handicraft associations and small and medium entrepreneurs from more than 45 districts will be taking part in the expo with their locally designed products. Apart from this, there will be stalls from foreign countries like India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Oman. Fhan said Thursday that 30 stalls and five pavilions had been booked so far.
Fhan President Hem Ratna Shakya said that the expo would help the local handicraft industry to grow by 25 percent. “We have been holding handicraft expos every year, and they have been creating positive vibes in the industry,” he said, adding that demand for handicraft products was rising in the domestic and international markets. He said that the handicraft industry had been expanding by 20-25 percent annually. Fhan aims to turn the fair into a business hub for handicrafts of the Saarc region.
The organiser expects 300,000 visitors and transaction of Rs 120 million during the event. Last year, the expo had attracted 250,000 visitors and witnessed transactions amounting to Rs 90 million. The Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS), Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) and Micro-Enterprise Development Programme (Medep) are the co-organisers of the event.
According to the association, handicraft exports amounted to Rs 5 billion and domestic sales reached Rs 8 billion in the last fiscal year. More than 25 varieties of handicraft are being exported to the US, China, India and European countries.
Pashmina, thanka, silver craft, felt products and woodcraft are very popular in the international market while bamboo, copper and ceramic products are the largest selling items in the domestic market, said traders.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
