Weavers’ societies welcome Kerala Brand for handloom products

Kerala handloom societies authorized to use brand logo for unique market positioning and quality assurance.

Three major handloom societies in the State have been authorised to use the Kerala Brand logo and name to help their products find their unique place in the domestic and international markets.

The brand certificates were issued by the Industries department to Paravur Handloom Society 3428 in Ernakulam, Pallichal Society in Thiruvananthapuram, and Kanjiramkode Society in Kannur.

T.S. Baby, a veteran of the handloom industry, said the unique identification logo and name would help the products from societies like those in Chendamangalam sell their products without fearing duplicate products that had flooded the market in the name of genuine hand-woven items.

Paravur taluk is the hub of handloom weaving in Ernakulam but has fallen on bad days largely because of poor wages and a dwindling demand for genuine handloom products, Mr. Baby added.

He said the new brand name would identify the products and materials used in producing the fabric. There are two weavers’ societies in the Paravur municipal area, and two societies each in the panchayats of Pallippuram, Vadakkekkara, and Chendamangalam.

The Onam season that has just passed was not encouraging for weavers because of a fall in business during the festival days. The Onam season accounts for more than half the business done by weaver societies during a year.

Providing the protection of logo and name under the Kerala Brand is one of the ways that the State government plans to increase the visibility of quality products from the State.