Yamunanagar farmers upbeat as poplar wood rate at all-time high

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, April 12

With the demand increasing, the rate of poplar wood has touched an all-time high of Rs 1,400 per quintal, bringing cheer to Yamunanagar farmers.

The surge has come as farmers of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have found new avenues in numerous plywood factories that have come up in their state. Earlier, Yamunanagar used to get 80 per cent of the poplar wood from the neighbouring state.

Although the rise in rates have rejuvenated farmers but the plywood manufactures of the district are dispirited by the development. The shortage of the raw material have forced the plywood factory owners to run their units five days a week. Earlier, the unit would be shutdown only a day.

Haryana Plywood Manufacturers’ Association President JK Bihani claims that downfall in supply was adversely affecting the plywood industry of the district.

He, along with other traders claimed that the rates of the raw material was Rs 500 in 2017. As result of this many district farmers left poplar plantation. Moreover, numerous plywood factories started coming up in UP. As production of poplar wood decreased in the district, simultaneously UP farmers started selling their produce in their state, he added. This led to the shortage

As result prices grew to Rs 1100 per quintal in February 2022 and now they are at all time high, Bihani added.

The farmers claim that they also have to pay more for labour involved in felling of tree as the wheat harvest is underway.

The traders claim that prior to the Covid lockdown, two lakh quintal of poplar wood (including some quantity of eucalyptus wood) was available to them every day but now the supply has come down to about one lakh quintal per day. With the increased demand, the farmers have again started new plantation of poplar.

“I think that now the future of poplar is bright and it will fetch good prices in future too,” said a poplar grower, Joginder Singh of Devdhar village.

Meanwhile, JK Bihani said they are hopeful that the supply of poplar wood will improve in the future.

Supply down: Traders

The traders claim that prior to the Covid lockdown, two lakh quintal of poplar wood (including some quantity of eucalyptus wood) was available to them every day but now the supply has come down to about one lakh quintal per day.

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