Online Edition
|
|
|
|
|
Online Edition
|
COVER DEC 31st 2009
REGULARBACK COVER
|
Shadows Walnut Craft Dying Fast 
Due to shortage of raw material and increasing price of walnut wood the artisans related to walnut craft are feeling compelled to switch over to other professions thereby drawing the death of the world famous walnut craft of Kashmir to a death corner. “Due to shortage of raw material in the market, the price of walnut wood has inflated. Last year the price of walnut wood was Rs 450 per square feet, which has increased to Rs 1100 per square feet this year,” says Ghulam Qadir a walnut wood dealer. There is an enormous demand for walnut items in the local as well as international market but due to increase in prices of raw material, customers have stopped buying walnut wood which they say has touched the price of gold. “Besides heavy taxes and lack of marketing infrastructure hoarding by walnut wood dealers is also taking a heavy toll of this age old craft of Kashmir. “To meet the demand from exporters the local dealers are keeping heavy stocks of walnut wood inventory in hand which again has increased the price of the raw material,” avers yet another dealer associated with this trade. “One of the advantages of walnut furniture is that there is no need to worry of natural wood exposure after the outer polish is scratched somehow. The natural color of walnut remains the same throughout the whole thickness of the wood. The color of walnut is normally deep chocolate-purple,” he adds. The production cost of the walnut articles like bed, sofas and dinning tables is very high as it takes months together to make a single item. But due to its high production cost, the purchase of those articles is beyond the reach of a sizeable populace. A walnut product which is non vulnerable to bug and termite attack is priced anywhere between Rs 15,000 to Rs 50,000 for good width of a dinning table. It is necessary to have a 300 years old walnut tree for quality walnut furniture, but since the government has imposed ban on chopping the walnut trees, it has become difficult to get the log with appropriate size used in making such tables. This has resulted in less production of items which have overwhelming demand in the market. Many traders demand that government should lift the ban on chopping of walnut trees and consider the exemption of taxes for traders to keep the wonderful and world famous craft of Kashmir alive besides saving thousands of artisans associated with this craft from starvation. -AIP |
Subscribe Now 
ADVERTISEMENT Latest World Headlines |
|
COPYRIGHT © 1996-2009 J&K REPORTER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. THIS WEBSITE IS DESIGNED, DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED BY EQUINOXYS INC. USA. BACK| CONTACT US| ADVERTISE WITH US| ABOUT US |