Kashmir's fabled Willow manufacturing industry seeks help from government amidst shortage of clefts

Kashmir's famed cricket bat manufacturing units are in a crisis with the ever-increasing demands of willows all across the globe. The century-old willow industry is fearing a shortage of clefts as the ₹300-crore enterprise is on the verge of collapsing in the next five years with the livelihood of over a lakh people at stake.

Around 400 bat manufacturing units are currently dependent on the Kashmir willow despite stiff competition with the fabled English willow. However, the manufacturers are staring at an uncertain future due to a shortage of clefts. Fawzul Kabir, who is a spokesperson for Cricket Bats Manufacturing Association, spoke about the increased demands for bats due to the onset of several franchise leagues.

He urged the government to start a plantation drive to ensure a sustainable supply for the future. Kabir feared that unless an afforestation drive is initiated by the government, the bat-producing industry in Kashmir will starve, since the demand for willows has increased ten folds in the last decade.

"Willow produce is dwindling fast and we fear that it might become extinct within the next five years. We have been requesting the government to go for a willow plantation drive to ensure a sustainable supply. As cricket is growing fast, the demand for bats will also increase.

"We had a dozen countries playing cricket two decades ago. Today, that number has gone up to around 160. Ten years ago, 2.5 lakhs to 3 lakh bats were manufactured in Kashmir. These days, 30 lakh bats are made every year," Fawzul Kabir was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

The longest six at the 2022 T20 World Cup was hit using a Kashmir Willow

Kabir also highlighted the quality of the bats manufactured in the region, citing the example of UAE's Junaid Siddique, who hit the longest six at the T20 World Cup in Australia last year using a Kashmir Willow manufactured by Anantnag-based GR8 Sports.

"We have been manufacturing cricket bats for the past 102 years. The quality of our bats is good and approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC). So quality-wise, we are not lacking. We are at par with (manufacturers that use) English willow, if not better. This was evident from the fact that the longest six in the recent ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia was hit using a Kashmir willow bat," he added.

In a piece of positive news for the Willow manufacturing industry in Kashmir, a piece of land measuring 20 hectares had been earmarked for the purpose of growing willow trees. A new technique was developed by scientists at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.

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