Established in 1938, Yemmiganur Weavers Cooperative Society in Kurnool district is the
oldest in AP which saw its popularity peak in 1998 (the Hindu – 2019) when there were over
2500 members, now they are down to only 599. With 60 outlets spread over AP, TS, KA
earlier, has now reduced to 25 which are mostly in AP.
Famous for cotton towels, bedsheets, lungis, napkins, mosquito net cloth, handkerchiefs,
shirting material and gada cloth, this society participated in the National Handloom Expo
2022 in Vijayawada. The count is in 10, 40, 60, 80 …2/16, 2/17, 2/40, 2/60 etc. It takes two
people to weave a saree in one week.
A place which once had 35000 weavers or 50% of the population, now stands at 30 percent.
The pandemic has not done them any good either, with not much facilities available and
wages so low, the weaver community here seem to be in dire straits. They hope that the
government will intervene to overcome their problems. In spite of all the drawbacks, the
society produces some of the best cotton products which we got to see during the expo.
Weavers are known to be shifting to weaving Gadwal silk sarees instead of cotton weaves
due to the demand and better wages per saree.
Adoni and Kodumur are the other clusters which produce lungis, towels, mosquito net,
bedsheets, carpets and livery shirting. Though about ⅔rd of the societies are believed to be
inactive, Neelakanteswara Weavers Cooperative Society, Kodumur has been upskilled by
the government in Gadwal pattu sarees.
