KATHMANDU, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- To promote a niche market and spread awareness about the potential of Nepali handicrafts, Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal (FHAN) will conduct Handicraft Promotion Week here on Oct. 19-25, The Himalayan Times reported on Saturday.

    "The motto is to help develop the niche market. Here, under a single roof one can get information regarding the potential of handicrafts. Products from the micro to top level can get exposure at a small cost," FHAN president Pushkar man Shakya was quoted by the daily as saying.

    According to FHAN, 25 years ago the export volume of handicrafts was quite large but since a few years the volume has been decreasing due to the troubled conditions in the country.

    The handicraft industry provides employment to a great number of people. "As the handicraft business can be started with minimum investment, it can generate employment for many people," Shakya said.

    According to FHAN, there will be 105 stalls during the handicraft promotion week and around 500 buyers from national and international non-government organizations are expected to visit the fair.

    During 2007-08, FHAN exported handicrafts around 3 billion Nepali rupees (some 38.4 million U.S. dollars). Domestic transaction was 4 billion rupees (some 51.2 million dollars), according to FHAN data.

    Nepali handicrafts are one of the major foreign currency earners. Textiles contributed some 67 percent and non-textile products registered 33 percent of the total export, according to the data.

    Around 40 different handicraft products are exported to more than 80 countries and regions in the world. Nepali handicrafts are exported mainly to the United States, Germany, Britain, France, Canada, Switzerland, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark and Australia.