By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Rajesh Ravindran has called for the adoption of scientific methods and international cooperation in production and trade of teak, a sector, he said, has been facing a slew of challenges.
He was inaugurating the fifth edition of the World Teak Conference at Grand Hyatt Convention Centre here on Wednesday (September 17, 2025).
Mr. Ravindran said the key challenges faced by the teak sector included climate change, shortage of quality planting materials, unscientific afforestation programmes, wildlife interference, and barriers to accessing capital and markets. “These challenges can be transformed into opportunities through the adoption of scientific methods, proper training, and international cooperation,” he said.
Experts and delegates from over 40 countries are participating in the event, hosted in India for the first time.
K.B. Singh, Inspector General of Forests, SU Division, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, who was the chief guest, stressed the importance of sharing both successes and failures from teak cultivation experiments across India to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Sheam Satkuru, executive director of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), called for wide-ranging discussions on teak production, marketing, and the livelihoods of those dependent on the sector.
The three-day conference features sessions on economic assessments, value-addition, market development, and building legal and sustainable supply chains for teak.
