Yesterday, Zhang Bing, a business household from China textile city, came to Lizhu to negotiate the processing business with a printing and dyeing company, but found the processing cost had been lifted to about 100 yuan/ton. The reason was that the knitting, printing and dyeing companies in Lizhu, Lanting and other places raised the prices together in order to relieve operating pressures. "As the prices of coals and steams rose up in the second half of last year, printing and dyeing companies undertook more pressures during the operation. After the spring festival, dyes, chemical materials, and human sources cost higher than before. It makes the things go worse." said the responsible person of the county printing and dyeing association. More Costs Increase After the Spring Festival, our county's printing and dyeing companies experience the things totally different. Now they need not worry about the orders but the production cost. "The prices of coal, steam, dyes, chemical materials and labour increases, so printing and dyeing companies feel much more pressures." expressed the county's printing and dyeing association. An insider did the account for "the rise of the prices". The prices of raw materials rose up 1/3 in a half of year, the price of coal was up from 700 yuan/ton in August and September of Last year to the current 1000 yuan/ton, leading the price of steam to go high. Taking the example of knitted products of Lizhu, Coal and steam etc. count for 24% of the production cost in printing and dyeing, it means that the cost of knitted printed and dyed products rose up 1.44%. Since March 1, the prices of dyes and chemical materials rose by 10%—30%, labour cost up by above 10%. "If not taking the increase of sewage charges into account, the production cost of printing and dyeing companies go up by about 10%," he said, "under such pressures, lots of printing and dyeing companies even dare not receive orders. " Raise Prices together "75D Fabric: Black, unit price: 2600 yuan/ton; White, unit price: 2300 yuan/ton......" this is a processing price list of knitted fabrics of Lizhu Dawan Printing and Dyeing Company. To deal with the pressures from the rising prices of raw materials in the printing and dyeing industry, on March 9, Lizhu and Lanting chambers of commerce held a conference of director companies of knitting, printing and dyeing association, discussing the lowest prices of dying knitted fabrics. At the conference, they made the consensus on raising the processing cost. "Though the processing cost for dyeing different colors commonly rose 100-200 yuan, up by about 5%, but it still can not eliminate the pressures of the price rise." said the responsible person. Besides Lizhu and Lanting, in Keqiao Economic Development Zone, Qianqing, Anchang, Qixian and other towns, the printing and dyeing companies increase the prices due to the pressure of costs. "Our company has decided to raise the processing cost from 5500 yuan to 5600 yuan. After using out the stock of dyes and chemical materials, the prices will be raised again." said the operator of a printing and dyeing company in Keqiao economic development zone. "The rise is reasonable. If companies take the chance to compete by lowering the prices, specially small companies, it will disturb the market." the person of the county's printing and dyeing association responsible for Binhai district. Increase the Efficiency by Saving Energy "The production costs of energy, dyes and labour increase by 10%, but the processing cost still lingers at 5%. Moreover, we have to take the risk of losing orders. Our rising rate always can not go with the rise of production cost." said an operator of a printing and dyeing company in Lizhu. Except the rise of prices, printing and dyeing companies should eliminate the pressures in rising costs by developing products and other methods. Spring is the best time in the whole year. Our county's printing and dyeing companies reform the technologies to improve the competitiveness of the products. For instance, "Xinyu Printing and Dyeing" has decided to buy automatic machines this year to relieve the pressures of lacking in labours and improve product quality after visiting the printing and dyeing companies in Binhai industrial zone. "Somet Textile" plans to invest 10 million yuan this year to introduce the advanced international equipment on purpose of improving fabric quality in dyeing and reducing the consumption of energy. Author: Wang Qiuli    Editor: Wei Xiaohua