July 20: Handicraft entrepreneurs, whose business has been shut down for a long time due to coronavirus pandemic, have started turning into alternative occupation. Entrepreneurs, craftsman and business persons involved in this sectors are in crisis after tourists stopped coming to Nepal even before the spread of coronavirus in Nepal. As the handicraft industry is directly linked with the tourism industry, it has been badly affected due to the closure of tourism sector.
According to the president of Nepal Handicraft Association, Hari Century, around 50 percent handicraft entrepreneurs and workers have chosen other profession as it will still take around two years for tourism industry to flourish again.
“They are now involved in vegetable farming and animal husbandry,” he said. Some of them are thinking of returning to the business in the coming days if the situation improves. But it is expected that some will abandon the sector.
Achyut Aryal, who has been making and selling handicraft products since 40 years at Basantapur, is now into maize farming after people stopped purchasing handicrafts. He has started the farming by renting 15 ropani land in Godawari, Lalitpur. “Neither there is the possibility of tourists coming to Nepal nor is export possible due to coronavirus. Even though we open the shops, there aren’t any buyers,” he said, adding, “I am obliged to get into agriculture as the business has dried up.”
As per the statistics of the Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal (FHAN), Nepali handicraft products worth Rs 6 billion was sold in the international market last year. The major market for Nepali handicrafts is the USA, China and European countries.
In an average, handicraft products worth Rs 11 billion to Rs 15 billion is exported from Nepal yearly, while it is estimated that around 1 million people (including businessmen, entrepreneurs and workers) are involved in this sector.
According to the president of FHAN, Surendra Bahi Shakya, the situation of Nepali handicraft is very critical for the next one year. He said that many people have had to change their profession until the situation becomes favourable. Moreover, he states that although the production of felt which was ordered before the lockdown is underway, they are facing problem in export. He further informed that the businessmen could not send some products from Nepal in the rescue flights due to exorbitant fare.
“As the fare was five times high than normal charge, we have not been able to send the ordered products,” he said. Entrepreneurs and businessmen are frustrated as they could not sell the goods.
Places like Basantapur, Thamel, and Patan where the handicrafts used to be made and sold are still deserted, due to which there is no business even if they open their shops. Handmade pashmina, felt, thanka and painting, wood carving, sculpture, and metalwork, etc fall under handicraft products.
