Carpet Production Rises 15% in Badakhshan, but Sales Market Remains Limited
According to reports, carpet production in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province has risen by 10 to 15 percent this year compared with previous years. Officials from the Badakhshan Carpet Weavers Association say around 2,400 square metres of carpet have been produced this year in the provincial centre and districts.
Abdulali Yaftali, head of the Badakhshan Carpet Weavers Association, said annual production of between 2,200 and 2,400 square metres of different types of carpet reflects growth in the industry.
Someruddin Rahmani, director of enterprises at the Badakhshan Department of Industry and Commerce, also confirmed the increase, saying carpet production has risen compared with previous years and has created strong momentum in the market. However, women carpet weavers in Faizabad, despite an increase in annual output from four or five carpets to eight to 10 carpets, complain of a shortage of sales markets. About 50 women at a weaving factory in Faizabad are learning carpet-weaving skills and working there.
According to figures from the Badakhshan Department of Industry and Commerce, more than 11,000 women and girls in around 500 production factories received skills certificates in handicrafts this year, and most of them have also joined the labour market. However, the lack of proper support for marketing products has prevented this important industry in Badakhshan from growing fully.
