The sandalwood auction held at the Marayur sandalwood division on Thursday and Friday saw the highest-ever quantity sold in auction and a record collection in terms of revenue.
Of the 77.87 tonnes of sandalwood put up for auction, 52 tonnes was sold. Marayur Divisional Forest Officer Saby Varghese told The Hindu that the e-auction, held for the first time there, saw a record collection of Rs.46 crore (including Rs.8.3-crore tax).
Class three recorded the highest price of Rs.13,000 a kg, and in Class three and six there was an increase in sale of 45 to 50 per cent. At the auction, the complete quantity of sandalwood, including rootwood, was sold.
The most sold items were in Class 6 — 18.5 tonnes.
The largest number of participants in the auction was from outside the State, including Kolkata, Chennai, and Delhi. From Kerala, those who participated included temples and Ayurvedic medicine manufacturers. The highest quantity bid was by a private firm.
M.G. Vinodkumar, range officer, said the e-auction enabled the participation of more firms from outside the State, and it could be a reason for the record sale this time. Only matured and dried sandalwood trees and those that have fallen down owing to natural causes are collected for being auctioned.
Oil content
The oil content and quality of Marayur sandalwood is said to be one of the best, leading to good demand from Ayurvedic medicine manufacturers and soap and cosmetic companies. Since there is a ban on exporting sandalwood oil, the demand for mixed chips (mainly used for extracting oil) was at a low.
