Silk producers in Afghanistan’s Herat province are sounding the alarm: uncontrolled imports of silk fabrics from China and Pakistan threaten to destroy the ancient art of silk weaving, for which Afghanistan has always been famous. TOLOnews reports this.
Resident of Herat Aminullah, who supported his family by weaving silk for more than 60 years, says that until two decades ago there were dozens of silk workshops operating in the city. However, in recent years almost eighty percent have closed.
“The industry is disappearing; In the past it was 60 to 100 percent active, but now only 15 percent remains, and even this 15 percent is on the verge of extinction.” – he admitted.
Your compatriot Mohamed Asifwho also inherited his father’s profession, complains:
“They bring us turbans from Pakistan and scarves from China. If these imports are not stopped, we must at least increase customs duties to be able to compete with them.”
The traditional craft of Afghans is dying. The silk weavers quit, became rickshaw drivers, or left for Iran in search of other jobs. Local officials in Herat say they are working to revive the province’s silk weaving industry.
“We have supported this industry in marketing and packaging. “It is necessary to establish global standards so that they remain competitive with products from other countries,” – saying Bashir Mohammad Sairathead of the department of industry and commerce of Herat.
The history of silk production dates back to China in the 4th millennium BC. In the second half of the first millennium BC. The Silk Road appeared, passing through the territory of modern Afghanistan.
