Kochi, July 2: Rubber-growers in Kerala and other other parts of the country are losing over Rs 2,600 crore annually as the use of processed rubber wood as a cheaper substitute for solid wood is not widespread, says a survey conducted by Indian Marketing Research Bureau (IMRB) for the Indian Rubber wood Task Force (IRTF).While a big demand-supply gap (of about 20 per cent) in the Indian timber market has forced builders and interior decorators to go for substitutes, they are not aware that processed rubber wood can be used in place of wood substitutes including plastic. The IMRB survey found that awareness about rubber wood was as low as 50 per cent among the traders, facilitators and timber users. Among those aware, only about 30 per cent use rubber wood.
The IMRB survey, conducted with financial support from the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO), has estimated that India requires about 20 to 25 million cubic metres of timber every year. But it produces only 18 million cubic metres oftimber annually. Imports from countries like Malaysia, Myanmar, Ivory Coast and Nigeria bridge the gap. But with more and more restrictions coming on timber exports all over the world, India will be hard pressed to meet its timber requirements in the future. Solid wood supply is thinning every year with tree felling coming under stricter scrutiny in the country.
Rubber wood, with its aesthetic qualities, high workability and plentifulness is a window of opportunity. Solid rubber wood availability in the country is estimated to be 1.5 million cubic metres annually, says the survey.
If rubber wood can be processed and used, it can build a business worth nearly Rs 600 crore in a few years. Though processed rubber wood will come to cost as much as the other traditional solid wood, its aesthetic qualities and high workability will push it into the forefront of the market, says the survey. Moreover, rubber wood is a renewable quantity and, hence, is environment-friendly.
According to estimates made by theRubber Board, the stock of rubber wood all over the world is on the rise. "By 2020, we are expecting an annual output of 52 million cubic metres of rubber wood annually," says a paper on the future of rubber wood industry. Of the total availability, 14 million cubic metres will be industrially usable logs.
Countries like Malaysia are already in the vanguard of rubber wood exports.It exports about $650 million worth of rubber wood annually. Against this, India produces about $2.5 million worth of products from processed rubber wood.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
