High cost of timber hits furniture markets

Furniture manufactures are facing manifold problems and challenges due to high cost of wood as well as non-availability of quality wood in required quantity. A survey of furniture markets revealed that there were only a few buyers of furniture although wedding season is in full swing.
The high cost of the furniture has threatened the sector as a whole. The prices of raw materials used in making furniture which include chipboard, timber, foam, polish chemical materials, colour paints and hard ware have increased. Timber production on the other hand has gone down drastically because of unchecked deforestation. The prices of average quality furniture registered an increase of 25 to 30 percent due to high cost of wood and its shortage. Anther reason of shortage of wood is said to be smuggling of sheesham wood to Dubai under the garb of raw material for making boats.
Furniture manufacturers said that all possible efforts should be made by the government in order to save the precious value added product's unlawful export. Prices of average quality of bedroom furniture increased by Rs 40,000 to 50,000. Prices of fine quality wood increased by 5 times during last three years due to early cutting of trees in forests. Around 70 units manufacturing office furniture have already become sick units due to shortage of wood. Besides increase in prices of wood, chip board, MDF board, hardboard etc also registered 25 percent increase.
Keeping in view the poor financial condition of majority of buyers, about 70-80 percent furniture dealers in the city have put on display average-quality furniture, the dealer said. Dealers said the prices had gone up by 70-80 percent during the last two years, while Chairman Arambagh Furniture Market Association, Atiq Mir said that there was 30-40 percent increase due to surging prices of raw materials. Mir emphasised the need of taking care of forests in the country to save them otherwise wood will fade away from the country. He suggested that cutting of trees before maturity should be declared as a crime murder.