Andhra govt to open depot in China to market retrieved red sanders

The Andhra Pradesh government will soon set up a depot in China to market red sanders wood, which is highly-demanded in that country.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who held a review meeting on red sanders and other plantation programmes with Forest department officials in Vijayawada on Thursday, asked them to open a depot in China to market red sanders and also conduct auction of the wood in Chinese yuan.

"Use technology to ensure transparency in the auction process. Create a market so that more revenue is accrued from the auction and fix the prices in tune with demand-supply," the Chief Minister told the officials.

Red sanders wood grows widely in the Seshachalam forest in Chittoor and adjoining Kadapa districts of AP.

Over the years, smuggling of the precious wood to foreign countries like China had been rampant.

Following a crackdown launched by the Chandrababu Naidu government, the smuggling activity had fallen significantly in the last two years.

The state currently holds 6,095 tonnes of red sanders seized primarily from the smugglers.

The Chief Minister mooted the idea of establishing a separate corporation for growing red sanders in the state and marketing it abroad through auctions.

"Use drones to protect the woods and geotag the trees. Categorise the seized wood and preserve it," Chandrababu told the officials.

The Chief Minister asked officials to seek cooperation from Baba Ramdev and Jaggi Vasudev for raising medicinal plantations in the state.

"Take up plantation of Ayurvedic plants along with other varieties. Outsource the job and grow the plantations along roads and rail tracks in the state," he said.

A special officer would soon be appointed to oversee the plantation activity.

"Create a record by planting one crore saplings across the state in one day. Take up this programme in the last week of July," he added.