The State government is contemplating auctioning red sanders soon. It has sought the permission of the Central government to auction 318 tonnes of red sanders with a view to fetching about ₹100 crore.
The Forest Department has so far earned ₹1,700 crore from the sale of 8,498 tonnes of red sanders.
In fact, the deadline to sell red sanders seized from the smugglers ended in December 2019.
However, with the Forest Department approaching the Centre seeking renewal of its approval, the State has been permitted to sell the seized logs till the end of December this year.
MoEF nod
When contacted, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests N. Prateep Kumar has said that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Environment (MoEF) has given an in-principle approval for the auction.
The State government, however, is yet to get clearance from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). The auction process will be initiated as soon as the DGFT clearance is obtained.
“The A.P. Forest Development Corporation Limited (APFDC) will invite global tenders through the MSTC, an e-commerce portal of the Central government. It is estimated that the red sanders sale will fetch ₹100 crore,” Mr. Prateep Kumar says.
Huge demand
“There is huge demand for the red sanders in the international market. China is a major importer. The wood is mainly used to make furniture, musical instruments and dolls. The huge demand and non-availability of the wood is giving scope for smuggling. With the government selling the seized red sanders in the international market, the smuggling activity has come down drastically,” says Mr. Kumar.
There was no sale in 2006-08 though the seizure was high. Between 2009-10 and 2013-14, the sale was suspended. This had resulted in an increase in seizure of the logs. “The government began selling the red sanders from 2014-15, leading to drastic reduction in the seizure,” he adds.
Mr. Prateep Kumar says that the average demand in the international market is 1,000 tonnes per annum.
“About 8,000 tonnes has been sold, and the government has permission to sell another 318 tonnes. In addition, 5,500 tonnes of red sanders stock is lying at the central red sanders godown in Tirupati,” he says.
The Forest Department has taken several measures to prevent illegal smuggling. The efforts are yielding results. Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is among the endangered species of wood found in Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh.
