China furniture imports affect Cane weavers

The Cane Weavers Association has bemoaned the importation of cane products from China into the country as it was affecting the local business of cane weaving in Ghana.

Mr. Kofi Timpabi, Head of Cantonments Weavers Association in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, in Accra on Thursday, explained that “even the Chinese products are not quality like what we produce locally, yet they have a ready market in the country”.

He said business used to thrive for cane weavers years back, however, “we don’t often sell much in recent years, sometimes it takes months and even years to sell a set of weaves as a result of the flooding of our market with cheap Chinese products”.

He said that exporters who in previous years used to export their products were no longer available thereby slowing down their sales.

He said government directive in 2014 to ban all state institutions from purchasing imported furniture was an effort to promote locally produce goods was yet to gain a foothold.

Mr Timpabi also expressed concern about the high cost of cane (raw material) imported from Cote D’Ivoire and some from Western Region for the weaving industry, a situation which he added was also affecting their business.

He said other raw materials that were less expensive were; the grapier and bamboo, which was bought from parts of the Volta Region as well as the willow.

Mr Timpabi disclosed that the use of LPG gas to curve the willow for beautiful designs was also expensive and thereby affected their businesses.

He said their woven baskets ranged from GHc5.00 to GHc15.00 while a “three-in-one woven” costs GHc1,000.00 to GHc1,500.00. Other weaves like the bamboo drying tree, centre table and wardrobe have various prices depending on the size.