Agra leather industry up in arms against raw material export
Vishal Sharma
New Delhi/ Agra. Footwear manufacturers of Agra have been opposing the export of leather to the other competing countries by the tanneries in India. This has deprived the local footwear industry of good quality raw leather.
The issue has even been raised by the local exporters in various industry forums, demanding an immediate ban on the export of leather from India to countries like China that were giving a tough competition to the Indian footwear industry.
To end this dispute between footwear manufacturers and tannery owners, a delegation of tannery owners from the Chennai Leather Association will be arriving in Agra tomorrow and will hold discussions with the local exporters to bring about an amicable solution of the situation.
According to the industry sources, the Agra footwear industry alone feeds 25 per cent of the national footwear exports and out of the $7 billion target set by the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) for footwear exports from the country in the coming five years, the Agra footwear industry has set an individual target of Rs 3,000 crores, expecting a growth factor of 25 per cent per year.
According to sources, the Agra footwear industry requires about 6 million sq ft leather every year to sustain its present production capacity and if the projected growth is to be attained, the requirement for leather should be raised to 7.5 million sq ft by the next year.
The local footwear manufacturers were already facing a paucity of leather, forcing them to import almost 15-20 per cent of their leather requirements from abroad, while the tanneries of the country were exporting finished leather to competing countries like China, a move that is being vehemently opposed by the local footwear industry in the CLE.
Talking to Business Standard, Captain A S Rana, chairman AFMEC said a delegation of the leather tannery owners shall be arriving in Agra on 4th May to discuss this issue with the local footwear manufacturers.
New Delhi/ Agra. Footwear manufacturers of Agra have been opposing the export of leather to the other competing countries by the tanneries in India. This has deprived the local footwear industry of good quality raw leather.
The issue has even been raised by the local exporters in various industry forums, demanding an immediate ban on the export of leather from India to countries like China that were giving a tough competition to the Indian footwear industry.
To end this dispute between footwear manufacturers and tannery owners, a delegation of tannery owners from the Chennai Leather Association will be arriving in Agra tomorrow and will hold discussions with the local exporters to bring about an amicable solution of the situation.
According to the industry sources, the Agra footwear industry alone feeds 25 per cent of the national footwear exports and out of the $7 billion target set by the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) for footwear exports from the country in the coming five years, the Agra footwear industry has set an individual target of Rs 3,000 crores, expecting a growth factor of 25 per cent per year.
According to sources, the Agra footwear industry requires about 6 million sq ft leather every year to sustain its present production capacity and if the projected growth is to be attained, the requirement for leather should be raised to 7.5 million sq ft by the next year.
The local footwear manufacturers were already facing a paucity of leather, forcing them to import almost 15-20 per cent of their leather requirements from abroad, while the tanneries of the country were exporting finished leather to competing countries like China, a move that is being vehemently opposed by the local footwear industry in the CLE.
Talking to Business Standard, Captain A S Rana, chairman AFMEC said a delegation of the leather tannery owners shall be arriving in Agra on 4th May to discuss this issue with the local footwear manufacturers.
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