The Vietnamese handicrafts industry, which was blazing new trails, till just a few months ago, has fallen upon very bad times. More pitiable is the plight of the handicraft artisans who hail from poor and rural backgrounds.
Things are set to change now, with the Vietnamese Retailer's Association throwing its weight behind the industry and will be launching a programme shortly to help the rural craftsmen with their production and sales.
This assistance has come at a time when, due to the ongoing recessionary trends prevailing in the global markets, exports from the sector have fallen sharply to its key markets of the US and the EU.
According to statistics from the Vietnamese Craft Villagers Association, out of the 2,790 handicraft villages, 1,400 of them have suffered losses to the tune of VND 800 billion in the previous year.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - Vietnam