RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The local handmade 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. The stakeholders participated in the meeting presented their proposals for a joint line of action to tackle the issues in furniture sector.

Mian Kashif said Pakistan’s furniture industry has the potential to contribute significantly to the GDP and employ numerous people with varying skills in specialist furniture. He stressed the need for extending forest area 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, they are facing acute shortage of trained woodworkers and when a local furniture brand wins large orders from global retailers, they fails to fulfil 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 of 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. 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, he added.

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 abroad. 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.

He said these exports represent a very small portion of the total furniture business of the country. According to him, the local furniture market is almost 50 times stronger than that of the exports. However, given the continuing high demand for timber, local furniture companies are faced with a significant shortage of materials.

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 22,000 per month.