Wood Import at Kandla Port of India and Identification of Alternative Indigenous/Plantation Species for Import Substitution

Deendayal Port Trust (Kandla port) is one of the major ports of India where 65% of India's total timber imports land. From this port, timber is served through India. Data collected from Kandla port and Kandla timber association indicated that approximately 3.5 million m3 of wood is getting imported which is providing direct and indirect livelihood and employment in the form of traders, sawmills owners, commission agents, Plywood panel wood manufacturers, retailers, wood palate manufacturers and exporters. Pine, Meranti and Teak are the major imported timber species of India. Under this study, it is aimed to see if any Indian-grown timber species has the potential to substitute for the major imported woods. The species such as Terminalia bellirica, Madhuca latifolia, Ailanthus malabarica, Albizia richardiana, and Alstonia scholaris were tested for the parameters like physical properties, mechanical properties and durability, and compared with the timber being imported and suitability was assessed. Durability and mechanical properties indicate that some species do have the potential to be considered for some of the end use for which imported woods are presently used but still, a detailed study is required related to the suitability of wood species for these end uses.