The Punjab state government has launched the Punjab E-Timber Portal. On February 12, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched an e-timber portal, allowing farmers to sell timber online. CM claimed that this is the first of its kind portal in the country, and it has been developed by the forest department, according to an official release. He said it will ensure complete transparency in the selling and buying of timber, benefiting the farmers. The industry people had mixed reactions to this new government initiative.
Previously, buying and selling timber was mostly done through unorganised markets, which made it difficult for farmers to obtain fair prices, he explained. "As a result of this, farmers are drifting away from agroforestry," said Mann. He said the state government is leaving no stone unturned in promoting agroforestry. About the portal, he said it will immensely help farmers, as they can sell their timber at any place of their choice via online mode. He added that the portal will ensure farmers receive a fair price for their produce, thereby encouraging them to engage in agroforestry.
The CM further said this portal will also help in direct interaction between industry and farmers, thereby mutually benefiting both sectors in a big way. Farmers in Punjab will now be able to sell their timber to the company directly through this portal, eliminating the need for a middleman. Prior to the launch of the Timber Portal, state farmers sold their agroforestry wood to the open market, where they did not receive a fair price for their timber. The government says this portal will work with total transparency. Here is a brief opinion on this initiative by the government, which industry people welcomed or criticized.
Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari IFS, DFO North Circle, Punjab, Hoshiarpur releasing a press note stated that according to the policy of the Punjab State Forest Department, the farmers are encouraged to plant more and more trees. Profit making is being encouraged so that farmers can break out of the traditional crop cycle because the water level of Punjab is decreasing day by day. Keeping it as a priority, the farmers planting of saplings, poplar, deck and other species is being encouraged by the Forest Department.
In the state of Punjab, timber is being procured and sold through unorganized markets, due to which the farmers and their produce is not getting the proper value, due to which the interest of the farmers of Punjab towards planting trees are decreasing. Keeping the above in mind, the Forestry Department produced the farmers' forestry products and launched E-Timber, India's first online portal for sale and purchase of wood. With this initiative there are several benefits the farmers and the industry will gat:
- Farmers can sell their wood anywhere through the online portal from the comfort of their homes.
- Farmers will get fair price for timber and save time and money due to timber bidding through online portal
- It will facilitate to sell even standing stock as there will be direct interaction between farmers and wood based industry
- It will give 100 % transparency guarantee and ease of giving and receiving.
“The Punjab Forest Department hopes that the farmers and timber-based industries of the state of Punjab will be benefited with e-timber portal. With the maximum use of ``good profit, both the farmer and the buyer will become companions on the path of progress,” he concluded.
The industry People opinion
Mr. Naresh Tiwari, Chairman, AIPMA: It is a helpline for farmers and industrialists. In this mechanism, the farmers will put their information related to timber, like its photo, quantity, and price, online and make it public. The industry, after seeing it, will communicate with those farmers and procure the available timber directly from them. The role of middle men will not be there. In this way, the industry will get the right quality of timber and the farmers will get the right price. In just a week, numerous registrations from both sides have been seen on the portal. This is a welcome step by the government as it removes all controversy over the demand for Mandi in different regions.
Mr Baldev Singh, Director, Ramnik International: This is a positive step by the government that will increase price transparency for farmers and manufacturers alike by eliminating middlemen in timber trading. It will also rectify the activities of the timber traders and compete with online pricing mechanisms. Although we procure timber locally, if we find good quality timber at a reasonable price in another district and the logistic costs remain viable, we will go for that. Farmers looking to plant trees this year were unable to find high-quality saplings in nurseries. I believe that the government should also prioritise plantations by establishing more nurseries and R&D facilities to ensure the availability of high-quality species.
Mr Manoj Chhabra, JMC Plywood: It is also a matter for observation and seeing how the government officials lead it for the benefit of industry and farmers. It will require surplus timber availability for smooth operation, but the government has no interest in timber plantations. Second, because the quality of timber can only be determined through physical examination, selling it online is a difficult task. Over and under cannot be decided by looking at photos of the timber. The MDF industry will benefit more, and the price of timber will be more stable, but I don't see how the plywood industry will benefit from it. The government is also talking about a one-stop shop for the industry, but we'll have to wait and see how these government proposals pan out.