Punjab eyes Agro-Forestry push to strengthen ply and furniture industry
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, March 15, 2026: The third and final day of the Progressive Punjab Investor Summit 2026 featured detailed deliberations on the growth prospects of the plywood and furniture industry in the state, with experts highlighting the crucial role of agro-forestry in ensuring sustainable raw material supply.
Delivering the opening remarks, Priyank Bharti, Secretary, Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Science & Technology, emphasised that agro-forestry has emerged as a key source of raw material for the furniture and plywood sector. , 2026He described the practice as both economically viable and ecologically sustainable, and advocated the promotion of timber-based agro-forestry in the state.
Bharti also revealed that agro-forestry plantations are proposed to be exempted from the upcoming Tree Protection Bill, which is currently under consideration by the government. The move, he said, would encourage farmers to adopt timber plantations and strengthen the supply chain for the wood-based industry.
During the panel discussion, industry experts discussed several key issues affecting the sector, including industrial labour safety in rural areas, sustainable raw material supply and eco-friendly production practices.
The panel included Naresh Tiwari, Managing Director of Virgo Panels; Sunil Shekhawat from Century Plyboards India Limited; Mukesh Goyal, Director of Savitri Woods; and Inderjit Singh Sohal, President of the Punjab Plywood Manufacturers Association.
The panelists highlighted that century plywood products are environmentally friendly and stressed the need to promote plantation of fast-growing trees such as eucalyptus and poplar on unused land. These species, they noted, are highly suitable for the plywood industry as they are recyclable and provide sustainable raw material for wood-based manufacturing.
Experts also pointed out that encouraging agro-forestry could create additional income opportunities for farmers while supporting the state’s growing plywood and furniture industry, ensuring both economic growth and environmental sustainability.