Yamunanagar: Wood shortage, rise in prices leave manufacturers dejected

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, February 8

Shortage of poplar wood and a rise in its prices have left plywood manufactures dejected in Yamunanagar district. Meanwhile, this development has brought a cheer to the faces of farmers, who will make profit out of the same.

Increase in demand

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Earlier, farmers harvested poplar tree crop once in five to six years, but they now have began planting the crop once in three to four years due to an increase in the demand of the wood. — Vijay Sharma, Farmer from Behrampur village

No boost to industry

Our association made an increase of 8% in the rates of all type of plywood, block board, etc, in January 2022 following an increase in rates of raw material. But this step also failed. — Anil Garg, plywood manufacturer, Jagadhri

The rising cost is also adversely affecting the production in the industry as factories are being run only in one shift. Earlier, the production ran in two shifts.

According to information, the plywood industry of Yamunanagar district comprises about 350 plywood factories, 700 peeling factories, saw mills and chipper factories, which had been facing acute shortage of poplar wood for past some months.

Sources said the poplar wood supply (including some quantity of eucalyptus wood) had reduced to 1.25 lakh quintal per day this time.

However, the industry had been getting a supply of about two lakh quintal poplar wood every day before the lockdown was imposed in the country in March 2020.

Sources said one of the major reasons behind the sharp fall in supply of poplar wood was that farmers put a halt on the plantation of poplar saplings after the rates of the wood touched a new low to Rs 500 per quintal in 2017 due to recession in the market.

The rate of the poplar wood was about Rs 1,200 per quintal in 2012. Since then, the rates have witnessed a decline every year up to 2017. However, the rates have now reached to Rs 1,100 per quintal, which were between Rs 950-Rs 1,000 per quintal in October 2021 and Rs 800 per quintal in February 2020. Vijay Sharma, a farmer of Behrampur village, said the farmers were happy as the rates of poplar wood were increasing.

The plywood industry of Yamunanagar district receives about 80 per cent supply of poplar wood from Uttar Pradesh, 15 per cent from Yamunanagar district (which is considered to be a hub of poplar tree crop in Haryana) and the rest 5 per cent from Punjab.

JK Bihani, president, Haryana Plywood Manufacturers’ Association, said most plywood factories were struggling for survival as they were being run only in one shift following a shortage of poplar wood.