Looking for a business? Become a silk producer.
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Looking for a business? Become a silk producer.
Looks like there is a market for high-end silk in Cambodia:
Despite steady sales of silk products in the Kingdom, the combination of a lack of skilled labor and cheap imports are adding extra stress to Cambodia’s already beleaguered domestic production, say officials and industry experts.
While recent government efforts to stimulate traditional silk production in Cambodia have had moderate success, the availability of cheap Vietnamese and Chinese silk, and silk-cotton blends seem to be stifling further progress to develop the country’s centuries old homespun industry, said Mao Thora, secretary of state for the Ministry of Commerce, and chairman of the Cambodia Silk Sector Development and Promotion Commission.
“The silk industry has been declining because some areas in the country, especially in Phnom Srok in Banteay Meanchey province, there is now a lack of labor as the majority of silk producers have migrated to work in neighboring countries,” said Mr. Thora.
“The market for silk production is not the main issue, but what we are doing now is to strengthen the silk producers.”
He said that the commission has been working hard to boost the silk industry by producing documents about silk in Khmer, in order to instruct local silk producers on how best to feed the silk worms, maintain a healthy and productive environment for worms to grow, and to ensure that silk production is of a quality to meet local and export markets.
Men Sinoeun, executive director of the Artisans Association of Cambodia, echoed Mr. Thora’s concerns for the industry. To offset short-term concerns, he said that imports of silk had increased in recent years. While Cambodia is able to produce about two tons of silk a year, he said that current demand in Cambodia is closer to 300 tons.
“Our association will be affected if there is no local silk to supply the production chain. Therefore, to make our production work, we decided to import from foreign countries,” Mr. Sinoeun said.
The lack of domestic production can be linked in part to the spread of garment factories offering rural women alternative employment opportunities, explained Nhem Morokak, undersecretary of state of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.
“The silk production process pays very poorly, and so the majority has given up on this job,” Ms. Morokak told Khmer Times. She gave the example of Takeo province, which once produced large quantities of silk, but in recent years has seen the industry markedly decline as garment factories had been built offering higher wages.
“We are pushing hard to create markets for silk weavers in Takeo and for them to remain in the industry if they can,” she said.
Taing Phireak, a manager of Watthan Artisans Cambodia, which uses silk to make clothing and accessories, told Khmer Times that while local companies would rather use Cambodian silk, the price was too high to remain competitive. This, he said, forced them to use Thai and Vietnamese silk.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/28745/ ... -troubles/
Cambodian Silk Market TroublesWhile Cambodia is able to produce about two tons of silk a year, he said that current demand in Cambodia is closer to 300 tons.
Despite steady sales of silk products in the Kingdom, the combination of a lack of skilled labor and cheap imports are adding extra stress to Cambodia’s already beleaguered domestic production, say officials and industry experts.
While recent government efforts to stimulate traditional silk production in Cambodia have had moderate success, the availability of cheap Vietnamese and Chinese silk, and silk-cotton blends seem to be stifling further progress to develop the country’s centuries old homespun industry, said Mao Thora, secretary of state for the Ministry of Commerce, and chairman of the Cambodia Silk Sector Development and Promotion Commission.
“The silk industry has been declining because some areas in the country, especially in Phnom Srok in Banteay Meanchey province, there is now a lack of labor as the majority of silk producers have migrated to work in neighboring countries,” said Mr. Thora.
“The market for silk production is not the main issue, but what we are doing now is to strengthen the silk producers.”
He said that the commission has been working hard to boost the silk industry by producing documents about silk in Khmer, in order to instruct local silk producers on how best to feed the silk worms, maintain a healthy and productive environment for worms to grow, and to ensure that silk production is of a quality to meet local and export markets.
Men Sinoeun, executive director of the Artisans Association of Cambodia, echoed Mr. Thora’s concerns for the industry. To offset short-term concerns, he said that imports of silk had increased in recent years. While Cambodia is able to produce about two tons of silk a year, he said that current demand in Cambodia is closer to 300 tons.
“Our association will be affected if there is no local silk to supply the production chain. Therefore, to make our production work, we decided to import from foreign countries,” Mr. Sinoeun said.
The lack of domestic production can be linked in part to the spread of garment factories offering rural women alternative employment opportunities, explained Nhem Morokak, undersecretary of state of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.
“The silk production process pays very poorly, and so the majority has given up on this job,” Ms. Morokak told Khmer Times. She gave the example of Takeo province, which once produced large quantities of silk, but in recent years has seen the industry markedly decline as garment factories had been built offering higher wages.
“We are pushing hard to create markets for silk weavers in Takeo and for them to remain in the industry if they can,” she said.
Taing Phireak, a manager of Watthan Artisans Cambodia, which uses silk to make clothing and accessories, told Khmer Times that while local companies would rather use Cambodian silk, the price was too high to remain competitive. This, he said, forced them to use Thai and Vietnamese silk.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/28745/ ... -troubles/
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Re: Looking for a business? Become a silk producer.
Invite 5 or 10 established Chinese and Vietnamese silk producers to set up production facilities in Cambodia; lease
them land at peppercorn rents for 50/99 years and see how well they manage.
them land at peppercorn rents for 50/99 years and see how well they manage.
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Re: Looking for a business? Become a silk producer.
why? there's not enough workforce. You may as well become an importer. Maybe re-title this to Looking for a business to lose money in?
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Re: Looking for a business? Become a silk producer.
In ASIALIFE 07 / 2016 / Issue 115, there is a one-page feature about Ms Vanary San, the owner of LOTUS SILK and she
who owns Steet 24 Boutique and she who recruited families n Kampot to grow mulbery bushes and raise the silkworms.
The silk is woven in Prey Veng and communities in Kandal produce cotton and carry out fabric dyeing.
"She not busy being born is busy dyeing"
who owns Steet 24 Boutique and she who recruited families n Kampot to grow mulbery bushes and raise the silkworms.
The silk is woven in Prey Veng and communities in Kandal produce cotton and carry out fabric dyeing.
"She not busy being born is busy dyeing"
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