The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) has selected the traditional 'Khaddar' manufacturing in Matta Mughal Khel (MMK), District Charsadda, as pilot project for improvement of local economy.
Promotion of local products, creation of employment opportunities, improvement of the quality of product and introduction of modern manufacturing techniques under Prime Minister's 'Aik Hunar, Aik Nagar' (Ahan) for poverty alleviation in the rural areas of the country.
The Authority, in collaboration with provincial government, has started work on Phase-1 of 'AHAN project', a joint venture of Pakistan government and Asian Development Bank (ADB). The first phase comprises awareness campaign and networking with stakeholders, sector analysis and pilot projects and feasibility study of AHAN Company or other suitable alternatives.
The project has been launched on the initiative of Prime Minister for Rural Enterprise Development of Pakistan on the basis of indigenised international model of 'one village one project' in practice in different countries of the world with different names.
Similar programmes are already in practice in Thailand, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, USA and United Kingdom. The 'one village one product' (OVOP) of Japan is being considered the best international practice in the world, as strategic intervention for poverty alleviation and a means to regional revitalisation, initiated in 1979.
The objective of AHAN project launched in Pakistan is to reduce poverty, with emphasis on direct benefit to wage earners, women and poor producer group by supporting employment generation activities and enhancing competitiveness of the micro and small business in the rural peri-urban areas.
The pilot projects already selected are textile (embroidery & Banarsi silk) in Dadu and Khairpur in Sindh, Silverware in Bahawalpur, Blue Pottery & Ceramics in Multan & Nasarpur and Kilim in Mustun and Kuchlaak, and the newly selected Khaddar products of Matta Mughal Khel/Rajjar in district Charsadda, NWFP.
At present, 760 units are in operation providing employment to 13,000 people.
Under the pilot projects, the weavers would be imparted training, technical assistance, machinery and equipment to help improve the income generation and alleviation of poverty from the area.
Khaddar is a warm fabric, worn in winter. Its products starts in the month of May and its supply to the market usually starts in September before the start of winter. The product is manufactured in different localities in the district such as Rajjar, Utmanzai, Matta Mughal Khel, etc. However, the clusters at Matta Mughal Khel and Rajjar are the largest, with more than 4300 units operating there. Initially, all these units were producing products by handlooms, but with the passage of time handlooms were replaced by power looms and now most of the units have power looms installed and producing different khaddar products.
Matta Mughal Khel has developed as potential textile products producing cluster with financial assistance from commercial banks and other managerial inputs. However, still a lot of efforts are need for capacity building of the cluster stakeholders and for the improvement of product quality.
Initiatives such as training on technical know-how, marketing, designing, colour combination, labelling and book-keeping are needed for enhancement in production and product quality as well as exploring new markets for traditional products.
Approximately, total number of the units is 4300, average 4 looms/unit, creating direct employment for 13,000 and total indirect employment for 20,000 people. The product cycle starts in May and completes in August. The fabrics manufactured in the looms include fabrics for shawls, male suits, female wear and Chitrali Pattoo.
The proposed intervention by the government will target their capacity-building, both in technical and marketing areas. The assistance of the government will help in uplifting their products quality and will improve their designing skills. The focus of the project would be mainly capacity-building through technical training at Matta Mughal Khel on-job training, designing, colour combination, dyeing, identification of quality raw material.
In marketing sector, they would be imparted training in labelling, pricing, exposure to new and bigger markets.
The groundwork of the project will be initiated by Weavers Association, Matta Mughal Khel, already in place and well informed by Smeda representatives. The association has shown willingness to cooperate with 'AHAN', while the terms and conditions of partnership will be described after initial co-ordination with the association.
For implementation of the project, the provincial government has already constituted a steering committee under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary after the head of Smeda; Shahab Khwaja, gave presentation to the provincial government on the subject. The meeting decided that the pilot project would be started from the textile cluster of Matta Mughal Khel.
In the next phase, the project would be extended to leather footwear (Charsadda), shawl manufacturing in Islampur, district Swat, 'Dera Embroidery' and Chitrali Pattoo after successful experience of the promotion of traditional khaddar product of Matta Mughal Khel.
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