The Cane Weavers Association is calling on government to include them in its One District One Factory policy.
The weavers, who believe their industry is expanding very fast say their ultimate need is a factory and will be very enthused should government include them in their plans.
Philip Osono, a weaver who has been in the business for the past 16 years said the job has been good to him.
He also pointed out that their best season for selling is usually in December as they are able to exceed their profits due to the high demand at the time.
“Christmas is our peak season. Usually, our colleagues in the village come to Accra a month ahead of Christmas to sell their products and make more money” he told Citi Business News.
Challenges
This industry however faces some major challenges which could stifle its growth.
A major one according to a weaver, Mr. Kofi Asante is the difficulty in getting the raw materials that is willow, bamboo and cane for their production.
He added that when it rains, prices soar which interferes with their profits.
“Whenever it rains, prices of the raw materials go up and it is because we do not have a personal vehicle to transport the raw materials from the bush, the materials are sold at higher prices to us”, he lamented.
A set of Cane Chair or sofa is selling at between 1000 cedis to 2,500 cedis, depending on the design.
A dinning set goes for between 600 cedis to 1000 cedis.
One could get a neatly woven baby cot for about 500 cedis whereas a basket or vase will be sold to you at between 100 and 200 Ghana cedis.
Interacting with some customers, the weavers said products are more durable than the others judging from its longer time span.
“We are 150 persons operating here. We need a shed to aid in our smooth operations. We are therefore appealing to government to also include us in the 1D, 1F project” he bemoaned.
Citinewsroom