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Craft villages: Hardest time passed
Many months ago, craft villages and cooperatives that make fine art products fell into hardship because of no orders, and had to lay off workers. However, the situation is quite different now: Orders have been returning, while some villages are even expanding workshops.
According to the HCM City Handicraft and Wood Industry Association (HAWA), 20 foreign partners have come to seek partners in the last two months. A lot of contracts have been signed between the partners and the association’s members. Besides loyal clients from Japan and Europe, there have been new clients from Paraguay and Dubai.
More orders, greater optimism
Having just exported a consignment of ceramic vases worth 600 million dong to the UK, Hiep Luc Cooperative in Bien Hoa city has started to produce sample products to offer to clients from Germany, UK and the US.
Luong Thi Thuy, Chairwoman of Hiep Luc Cooperative, said that unlike the end of 2008, a lot of foreign partners, including new clients, have come since the beginning of 2009. Hiep Luc has exported 4 billion dong worth of products to the US and Europe so far this year. Though the figure represents the decrease of 30 percent over the same period of 2009, Thuy still feels optimistic with the business, believing that the 10 billion dong worth of exports in 2009 is within reach.
Similarly, Nguyen Van Phuc, Chairman of the Vinh Phuoc Cooperative in Khanh Hoa province, said that the cooperative is speeding up the construction of a 3,200 square metre workshop to complete orders for the last months of the year.
“We are designing new products to offer to new clients from France, Sweden and Spain. We are also expanding workshops to fulfill the orders,” Phuc said. “The values of orders we have got for the last months of the year have reached 10 billion dong.”
At Hung Thai Company in Binh Duong province, which specialises in making wood clogs, said that it is making some 200,000 pairs of wood clogs for European markets, including the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark. Thai Van Anh Hung, Director of the company, said that with the orders, the company can ensure enough jobs for its workers until the end of the year.
More work, more workers needed
Though cooperatives and craft villages are happy orders have returned, they are still facing a lot of difficulties, including capital shortage and material price increases. Moreover, the labour shortage has put big difficulties on many producers.
Hiep Luc Cooperative now has 50 workers. Meanwhile, Thuy said that she needs 100 workers to fulfill orders. In general, the cooperative only has 30-45 days to fulfill orders.
Vinh Phuoc Cooperative has said that it has recruited some 50 additional workers.
Dang Quoc Hung, Deputy Chairman of HAWA, said that in order to settle the labour shortage, businesses should think of upgrading machines and workshops to raise productivity.
vietnamnet, tt
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