Free masks distribution through PDS takes the breath out of Tirupur knitwear units

Manufacturers of fabric masks say that the downtrend in the domestic market began after the State government kicked off an initiative to distribute non-woven masks to the public through PDS outlets.

“Orders plunged once supply of non-woven masks commenced in PDS outlets. The sulking knitwear units in the district might have got a lifeline if the government had chosen to distribute fabric masks and given its orders in bulk to us. Already, the rush for purchase of masks by the public has begun to slow down with many having made a good stock of it. Only some early birds in the knitwear industry were able to earn money by selling the medical gear for high profit,” said SS Loganathan of Smart Garments, who was supplying medical gear to Jipmer, but have shut down production now.

Unable to have a smooth sail in their new venture, other midrange garment production units that forayed into medical gear production have also been calling it quits one by one in the knitwear hub of India.

More than 90 per cent of garment units in Tirupur had switched over to manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, masks and gloves over the last few months. The dip in orders has led manufacturers to slow down their production considerably.

“When the demand was at the peak, I was making over 10,000 reusable masks per day in our unit. Now, we make the same number of antimicrobial masks in a week due to less demand. Even this trickle of order is only from the premium and branded garment sellers,” said MP Muthurathinam, president of Tirupur Exporters and Manufacturers Association (TEAMA).

Another significant reason behind the drastic fall in orders is that every other state in India has ramped up production of COVID-19 medical gear to fulfill their requirement instead of buying it from elsewhere.

“Earlier, orders were pouring in from states like Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh and even from parts of north India. Currently, they make their own product and stopped buying from us,” said another manufacturer.

The export orders too failed to bring in cheer among the knitwear units.

“Exports could not be made in significant numbers in the month of July, when the government gave a go ahead for export of COVID-19 medical gear. This month too, the sluggishness continues and the orders were not to the extent expected by us. Failure to meet the quality parameters is one of the reasons,” said S Sakthivel, executive secretary of Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA).