The 15th Handicraft Trade Fair and 13th Craft Competition is scheduled to be held on November 17 at the Bhrikutimandap Exhibition Hall in Kathmandu, with an objective of promoting exports of Nepali handicrafts. 

The five-day fair, organised by the Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal (FHAN), will feature 200 stalls displaying various handicraft products, arts and crafts, gift items, pottery and among others. “Nearly 90 percent of stalls have been booked,” said FHAN President, Dharma Raj Shakya.

Traders and businessmen from 25 different districts are expected to take part in the fair. 

The fair will be a platform to promote Nepali products in the international market, said Shakya. Buyers and sellers from the countries like Japan, China, India and Bhutan will also visit Nepal to explore Nepali handicrafts market. Meanwhile, the objective of the Craft Competition is to encourage and attract young generation to the handicraft sector, he said.

Three people will be awarded with cash prices on the basis of their production displayed at the fair. Another attraction of the fair is the “trend display”. Under this category, new products of ceramics, woollen clothing, pashmina, jewelleries and leather products will be displayed that will hit the market in 2018-19, according to the organiser. The fair will also promote cultural and traditional attire of different regions of the country. “Hence, the display of ‘ethnic handicrafts’ will be an attraction to both national and international visitors,” said Shakya.

The organiser said that they were investing Rs10 million to hold the fair. The government has chipped in Rs2 million. “This year, we expect business transactions of more than Rs100 million during the expo. Last year, the fair witnessed worth Rs80 million of transactions. 

Handicraft products have a huge demand in the national and international market. FHAN exports more than 50 different types of handicraft products to almost 80 countries. According to FHAN, the handicraft sector has provided employment to around 1.1 million people directly or indirectly. 

Shakya said that lack of proper, well-equipped venues has been a key problem to promote the handicraft business. 

The general public will be able to enter the expo for Rs50. Students receive a 50 percent discount on tickets.