Odisha to conduct fourth phase of global e-auction for red sandalwood on April 9
Editor
Bhubaneswar, March 25: The Odisha government is set to hold the fourth phase of a global e-auction for red sandalwood logs on April 9, Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia informed the state Assembly on Tuesday.
The auction will be conducted through an e-tendering process, allowing international buyers to participate in the sale of this highly valuable and rare wood.
Responding to a question by BJD MLA Arun Sahoo, the Minister revealed that Odisha currently has 4,539 red sandalwood trees, with 2,071 growing naturally and the remaining 2,468 planted under afforestation initiatives.
Given the economic and ecological importance of red sandalwood, the state government sought approval from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. As a result, the export restriction on 810.1894 metric tons of red sandalwood has been lifted, allowing its sale until September 6, 2025.
With this approval, the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) has taken steps to auction 809.7844 metric tons of red sandalwood in multiple phases. Three auction rounds have already been completed, and the upcoming fourth phase aims to attract a wider range of global buyers.
