KOCHI: Providing labourers with food and accommodation prompted them to stay back, which helped revive the timber industry.Stakeholders hope the sector can return to full production capacity once the demand for products picks up in other states
The welfare activities organised for migrant labourers during the initial phases of the Covid-induced lockdown have come in handy for the timber industry as production in small factories has witnessed a revival. Thanks to the initiatives, which included providing the migrant labourers with food and accommodation, many of them stayed back. As a result, the stakeholders hope the industry can return to full production capacity once the demand for timber products from here picks up in other states.
Ernakulam is the hub of the timber industry in Kerala, with plywood factories in Perumbavoor and nearby areas employing over one lakh migrant workers.“Fortunately, fewer migrant workers from here left for their respective states. This helped plywood factories resume operations from the last week of April,” said Azees Pandiyarapilly, general secretary, Sawmill Owners and Plywood Manufacturers Association (SOPMA).
He said when special train services to take the guest labourers home were started, many decided against leaving after those who did told them about the financial hardships back home. During the lockdown, the government had directed factory owners to arrange facilities for the guest workers. The district administration too provided food and essentials to them.The district has around 1,400 timber-related units. Of this 385 are plywood factories. Over 200 factories are engaged in timber peeling.
“The factories have been directed to operate while maintaining social distancing. Currently, factories are hitting around 50 to 60 per cent of daily production capacity. Last week, we had some orders from other states. But we have to check whether stockists are stockpiling the plywood now,” Azees said.
Full revival depends on other states
The full revival of the industry will depend on the market in other states, said SOPMA president M M Mujeeb Rehman. “The production of plywood and other timber products from Ernakulam is based on the demand from states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. The market there is yet to resume. Before the lockdown, around 500 truckloads of timber products from the district crossed state borders daily. Of them, around 300 truckloads were of plywood alone. Currently, only around 150 to 200 truckloads are moving out daily,” Mujeeb said.
Nellikuzhi panchayat near Kothamangalam, which has over 700 furniture factories and over 100 furniture shops, is also returning to normalcy.“Our industry is closely linked to the real estate sector. While the latter is yet to resume normal operations, retailers have started placing orders from last week,” said Abdul Majeed, the owner of a furniture manufacturing unit at Nellikuzhi.He said most of the workers are staying here, which helped owners like him resume work as soon as permission was granted to open the factories.
“Since this is a cottage industry, each unit has around 10 workers,” Abdul said.