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<\/span>The nearly 500 plywood manufacturing units in South India such as Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have returned to near normality after a crisis triggered by de-monetisation, the epic floods of 2018 and the two years of COVID pandemic.<\/p>\n Industry sources said the plywood industry, however, had its own share of problems caused by the general deceleration in the economy. But it hopes to go full steam with the recovery of the economy. One of the issues confronting the industry is shortage of raw materials. However, sources said it was a seasonal issue as raw materials fall short of demand when the rainy season sets in.<\/p>\n In the long run, the industry had expressed the view that the government should encourage planting of softwood to enable the sector to have sufficient raw materials. Besides, there is shortage caused by the slowdown in replanting of rubber trees in the State. The industry is important in terms of employment generation and its general contribution to the State\u2019s economy. Sources said the plywood industry in Kerala directly employed around 50,000 people.<\/p>\n The industry was in the throes of a crisis when the COVID pandemic reached its peak with shortage of workers and a slowdown in demand. Bank loan repayment was also a serious issue facing plywood units.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"