Kraft Paper Prices Sky-High, Entrepreneurs In Difficulty

Kraft paper prices sky-high, entrepreneurs in difficulty, seeking intervention from government to control prices.

Due to the continuous rise in prices of raw materials due to Corona, problems in imports, and wild increase in sea freight, paper is getting expensive.

The prices of kraft paper used for packaging have more than doubled. The cost of packaging for industries has also gone up by 30 to 35 percent.

Entrepreneurs have sought intervention from the government to control prices. 90% of the contribution of kraft paper used in packaging is of scrap paper. It is imported from many countries including Europe, America, West Asia.

Anil Kumar, Senior Vice President, Indian Agro Paper Industry, said that apart from the scarcity of waste paper in the global market, sea freight has also increased by four times.

Importing from this is becoming expensive. President of All India Federation of Master Printers Prof. Kamal Chopra said that China has banned the import of scrap due to pollution problems. There is a demand for kraft paper for packaging.

In such a situation, many small manufacturers around the world started making cheap kraft paper and selling it to China. This also resulted in a shortage of waste in the market.

SC Ralhan, head of the Ludhiana Hand Tools Association, said that packaging is important for industries. The expenditure on the packaging itself has increased from 35 to 40 percent.

It is getting difficult to manage. The government needs to take measures to reduce the rising input costs.

The government’s emphasis on ensuring the supply of fertilizers, availability, and prices are on watch in Kharif season.

The government’s emphasis is on ensuring a supply of fertilizers during the Kharif season. The government said on Saturday that the availability and prices of fertilizers are being monitored.

In this regard, manufacturers and importers have been asked to ensure an adequate supply of fertilizers during the kharif (summer crop) sowing this year.

The official statement issued by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said that during Rabi (winter crop) 2020-21, the availability of fertilizers across the country has been satisfactory.

The production, import, and movement of fertilizers were timely and adequate despite all the challenges posed by Covid-19.

The statement said that the government is closely monitoring the availability and prices of fertilizers in the interest of farmers.