A Multidisciplinary Research Journal - Devanga Arts College

1563 primary weaver's co-operative societies functioning in the state at present have a
membership of 3.63 lakhs of weavers. There are two types of weavers' co-operative societies.
One is a system under which weavers cooperative societies provide raw materials to the weaver-
member to take them home convert them into finished products and return them to the societies
form marketing and get wage at prescribed rates. The other type is the industrial weavers' co-
operative societies, which function mostly on a work-shed basis. The weaver-members report
for work at the premises of the society at specified hours and work on the looms set up by the
society. They convent raw-materials into cloth in the societies; premises itself and get wages.
All the Primary Weavers' Co-operative Societies are affiliated to co-optex which is the
apex organization. There are more than 25 cooperative spinning mill in the state producing about
10,000 bales of cotton yarn, which represents roughly the total needs of all the societies. The co-
optex is running nearly 25 yarn depots in different parts of the states, where yarn produced by the
mills are being stocked and supplied to the weavers' co-operative societies in this state produce
mainly handloom goods worth about Rs.150 crores, out of which they themselves market about
50% of the production directly to consumers as well as to merchants and exporters.
The co-operative has set up nearly 750 selling units all over India. It produces about 50%
of the production from the primary weavers' co-operative societies and markets the same through
the selling units. During 2007-2008, it sold goods worth Rs.250.00 crores. It has also set up a
separate export wing, which is undertaking direct export of handloom goods to the extent of
about Rs.30 crores during 2008-2009. The co-optex is also providing service functions like
giving technical assistance to the primary weaver's societies for undertaking production of new
designs and new fabrics through its field technical staff, evolving and supplying new designs
through its design-cum-service at Madurai, Provision of credit facilities for modification of
looms for undertaking production of new varieties etc.
The Tamil Nadu Co-operative Textile processing mills Limited, which is functioning in
the co-operative sector at Erode with facilities for bleaching, dyeing, calendaring and
mercerizing is providing necessary processing facilities to the handloom goods produced in the
co-operative sector. The mill is being expanded to balance the capacities of the Machinery and
also to set up a printing unit.
HANDLOOMS IN THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU - TOP 15 DISTRICTS