Furniture Makers Hit By Dwindling Timber Supplies, Trained Woodworkers

Furniture makers hit by dwindling timber supplies, trained woodworkers

Many Pakistani handmade world class traditional furniture manufacturers are struggling to win large orders from global retailers due to a significant shortage of rosewood and trained woodworkers across the country.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st May, 2018 ) :Many Pakistani handmade world class traditional furniture manufacturers are struggling to win large orders from global retailers due to a significant shortage of rosewood and trained woodworkers across the country. This was disclosed at a meeting of furniture stakeholders convened by Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq here on Monday to find out concrete solution to the problems being confronted by local furniture industry in Pakistan. A large number of furniture makers and stakeholders drawn across the country participated in the meeting and presented their proposals to the meeting for a joint line of action to tackle the issues in furniture sector. Mian Kashif said Pakistan's furniture industry has the potential to be a substantial one at multiple levels as it can contribute significantly to the GDP and employ numerous people with varying skills in specialist furniture.

For this, first of all we should extend our forest cover from 5 percent to 25 percent of total area so that we can get wood especially rosewood for manufacturing of the furniture. Secondly he said "we are facing acute shortage of trained woodworkers and when a local furniture brand wins large orders from global retailers, he fails to fulfill the demand within the speculated time because of non availability of the skilled workers to handle the latest machineries being used in furniture making." He demanded the government to provide technical training to workers involved in furniture sector on exigent basis and in this regard, private sector will join hands with the government for any joint venture for the betterment of furniture sector in Pakistan.

He said it is estimated that local furniture firms use about 30 million cubic meters of solid wood and wood-based board materials each year, which translates as about 2.

2 percent of all wood used commercially around the world. About 67 percent of wood used in Pakistan products is domestically sourced, while the remaining 33 percent, translating into around 10 million cubic meters, must be sourced from overseas.

He said Pakistani handmade furniture exports have been growing steadily in recent years and Pakistan exported more than $60 million worth of wood products, while global demand was estimated at $400 billion.

There is potential for more growth," he added. He said these exports represent a very small portion of the total furniture business of the country. Local companies believe that the government should throw its considerable weight behind a plan to develop a sustainable forestry system that can be expanded as demand for wood continues to grow. Mian Kashif Ashfaq said in this regard PFC in collaboration with TEVTA will start 4 months short duration course to meet the increasing demand of furniture industry and in first phase 500 students will be trained through these courses and successful trainees of this course will get salary of at least Rs 22 thousand per month. This program provides a professional pathway we've needed in this industry for a long time.

We believe the program will lead to a higher rate of job placement and job satisfaction, and it will build and help sustain a skilled workforce so that wood products manufacturing can remain a vibrant part of the forest-based economy." "Providing this training program should help workers in their careers and help the industry remain competitive, he ended.