NilamburMALAPPURAM: The golden-hued Nilambur teak has been shining brighter, thanks to the Geographical Indication (GI) tag it had won five years ago. Demand for the teak has increased due to its newfound status, especially after the industry sector opened up following dip in Covid cases. Nilambur South Divisional Forest Officer Praveen P said the department had sold 500- 1000 cubic metres of the teak every month in the 2021-22 financial year.
“We maintain around 500 teak plantations in 8,000 hectares of land in Nilambur. The sale in 2021 was higher compared to the previous year and GI tag is one reasons for it,” Praveen said. The individuals and companies that buy the wood from the forest department sell them to customers including furniture makers at a higher rate. Raghu K M, who has been in the teak wood business for the past 30 years, said his sale of Nilambur brand increased since it got the GI status.
“I used to sell 50 to 75 cubic metres of Nilambur teak every year before. Now I sell 100-150 cubic metres a year. Moreover, I get a slightly better price. I have customers from various states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh. I also get enquiries for furniture in made using Nilambur teak,” said Raghu. Junais Babu, a Nilambur teak merchant in Mampad who has customers from other states, said his business has gone up. Nilambur Teak Heritage Society president T K Abdulla Kutty said the ‘brand’ is one of the much sought-after in the world even before it had got the GI tag.
“Its golden yellow colour makes it more attractive than other teak wood. Furniture made of the wood are in high demand across the world. Nilambur teak is widely used for carving work, considering its strength and durability. The teak is special because of the quality of the soil in Nilambur. The area has many streams, rivers and rivulets. The welldrained alluvial soil on river beds is ideal for teaks to grow. We encourage people in the area to plant teak in their land as the genetic quality combined with the specialty of the soil makes Nilambur teak a perfect wood.
Teak grows faster in Nilambur and yields bigger logs. The wood in other parts of the state will not have the same quality,” said Abdulla Kutty. Kerala Agricultural University College of Forestry professor Kunhamu, who worked to get GI tag for the teak, said the British were the first to realise the quality of Nilambur teak. “They later created teak plantations in Nilambur. The Shoranur-Nilambur rail line was made to transport the timber.
Erstwhile Malabar collector Henry Valentine Conolly set up a teak plantation in Nilambur in 1840. It is now known as Conolly’s plot. The plantation is now protected as it houses many large teak trees. It is said that Nilambur teak was used to build the Buckingham Palace in 1705. RMS Titanic was one of the largest and luxurious passenger liners and was considered as unsinkable. Its mast and major decoration were believed to have done using Nilambur teak,” said Kunhamu.