The runaway success of the Pushpa movie series has renewed public interest in ‘Rakta Chandana’ or Red Sanders. It is not just the rising illegal trade that has caught the attention of conservationists and government officials, but also the diminishing legal sales, conducted by the state forest departments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
The wood is in demand because of its unique features like the rich different shades of red and its acoustical property. It is endemic to the Eastern Ghats, particularly in the district of Kadapa of Andhra Pradesh, but has been cultivated in forest and agriculture lands in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
Botanists and foresters have observed that this species seems to thrive and produce better quality of wood in sites and environment that can be described as harsh (high temperatures, poor rocky soil and scanty rainfall) than under better conditions. Due to the increasing illegal trade and in wake of the persistent demand from southern states, particularly Andhra Pradesh, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is now debating on bringing in strict regulations on its sale, cultivation and harvesting.
As per data from forest departments from Andhra Pradesh, if 12-15 metric tonnes a month is marked for sale, around 30% of it is illegally traded. The state annually sells around 300-400 MT of Red Sanders.
“Exports are seeing a dip. There has been a lull in the international market since the last three years. We tried to auction the wood six times, but there was poor response. Recession in China and the illegal trade could also be the reason,” said former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Andhra Pradesh, Chiranjiv Choudhary, who retired last month. When a team of officials and experts recently visited China to ascertain the market, they found piles of old stock. Apparently, the earlier purchased stock was yet to be liquidated.
The wood has little or no demand in the domestic market but is consumed in a big way in China, Japan, Dubai and Europe. In China, it is called as ‘zitan’ and is used for making furniture that is seen as a status symbol. It is also in demand in Japan for making the famous three stringed musical instrument, ‘shamisen’. It is believed that the musical notes played by a newlywed couple on the instrument would determine the quality of their married life. It is also used in European countries for dye making.
Besides, the wood is an ingredient in the cosmetics industry due to its rich organic reddish colour. Its medicinal properties are used to make bath soaps and skin rejuvenation creams. Red Sanders is also used in Ayurvedic medicines for treating ailments such as cancer and tumour.
“Unlike almost all other woods, its heartwood has a density greater than water. (Its logs don't float in water, they sink). Being extremely valuable, it is sold by weight and not volume. The colour of the wood primarily, and the circumference and length of heartwood secondarily determine its grade and rate. In Karnataka, since 2017, around 200 tonnes of wood has been e-auctioned. Farmers are also cultivating it in their lands. However, disposal of mature trees has not been reported yet,” said former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest force, Karnataka, Brijesh Kumar Dikshit, who retired from service in January this year. He added that the Red Sanders he has seen growing in Karnataka did not have the characteristic clotted blood colour heartwood that fetches the highest price.
As Red Sanders is an endangered species, it is listed under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). A series of permissions from the state and Central governments, including the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), is needed while exporting the wood. It is also a species having special rules in Andhra Pradesh, calling for strict transportation permissions.
Around 5,000 tonnes of seized Red Sanders is with the DRI and another 1,000 tonnes is with the Customs.
“The catch is, if the trade regulations are stringent then illegal trade is lucrative, posing a danger to the forest. If the norms are eased, then illegal felling goes up and again the forest is under threat,” said forest department officials from the three states.