Mangalore: Time to Reflect - Cane Industry Facing Dearth of Raw Material

By Melka Miyar

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Mangalore, Jun 11:  Mother Nature has been more generous to mankind than to any other creature.  We have been blessed with bountiful sources and materials for our day-to-day use.  Bamboo or cane is one such raw material which is of immense use to us.

One among its many uses is in the furniture industry to create innumerable products of artistic value.  However, there are only a few cane furniture manufacturing units surviving in Dakshina Kannada district owing to shortage of raw materials while the extensive use of metal and plastic-made furniture for domestic purpose has reduced the scope for its survival over the years.

Here is a cane furniture manufacturing unit located at Beltangady owned by U Ramesh Prabhu who has been running the shop for the sake of his love for art than for profits for the last 6 decades.

“Actually, the cane furniture is in great demand.  However, it is difficult to meet this demand owing to shortage of raw materials and skilled labourers.  We have to depend on forest department to procure cane since it is not locally available,” he says.

Pilgrims thronging to Dharmasthala from neighbouring districts and states often visit Ramesh’s shop to purchase furniture made out of cane.  Though the cost of cane furniture is on the higher side than metal or plastic-made furniture, people have  distinct craze for it.

He has the choicest of cane products such as chairs, sofa sets, cradles, swings, fancy items and custom-made interiors.  He proudly says that over 5,000 chairs manufactured out of cane supplied to KMC are still in use.  At the same time repairing of the furniture which was manufactured decades ago is indeed a great task, he explains.

Explaining about the quality of cane that goes into manufacturing furniture, he says that there are varieties of cane ranging from thicker to thinner canes which are used in the frame work and to fasten the furniture.

In Pilikula Nisargadhama, at Moodushedde a kiosk of cane manufacturing unit has been set up to promote the trade by employing 4 skilled labourers and imparting training to those who wish to join.  The furniture products thus manufactured are easily sold to the visitors at the park.  However, they too face the shortage of raw materials. Besides there are very few who are interested in taking up the trade.  This calls for the government to ensure adequate supply of raw materials to promote the cane furniture industry in the district.