KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s batik industry continues to show positive development when the number of batik entrepreneurs increased to 775 people as of Oct 31, the Dewan Negara was told today.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri(pix), during the question and answer session, said in 2009, the number of registered batik entrepreneurs stood at 120 with a sales value of RM30.9 million.
She said a decade later, the number increased to 700 entrepreneurs who recorded sales of products valued at RM176.4 million.
“From 2016 to 2020, the country’s batik export trade generated by registered craft entrepreneurs stood at RM6.7 million, while for this year, it was valued at RM289,000 as of Oct 31.
“This relatively low value is due to the spread of Covid-19 which has also affected the global economy,” she said in reply to a question from Senator Datuk Isa Ab Hamid on the matter.
Nancy said Malaysia’s batik export trade was expected to recover following the resumption of more economic sectors which gave batik entrepreneurs an advantage to market and promote their products.-Bernama
