LPG shortage sparks surge in firewood demand in Kerala

The worsening Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shortage following the ongoing conflict in West Asia has triggered a sudden increase in demand for fuelwood; Sawmills and plywood mills reported an influx of demand despite rising prices.

LPG and oil crisis LIVE: LPG shortage leads to surge in fuelwood demand in Kerala

With commercial cylinder supplies nearly exhausted, causing the closure of more than 100 hotels in Kochi alone, hotels still operating have cut menus and opening hours while exploring alternative fuel sources. Samridhi@Kochi, a budget restaurant chain jointly operated by Kochi Corporation and Kudumbashree Mission, switched to firewood on Friday, March 13, 2026, after exhausting its last reserve of LPG cylinders.

“We need up to 1.5 tonnes of firewood in our central kitchen, which costs around INR 6,000 including transportation. Cooking is also quite slow compared to LPG,” sources at Samridhi said. Judging by feedback from the field, at least some domestic consumers are looking for firewood as a possible hedge in case the LPG crisis worsens.

Deepak Patel, who runs a sawmill in Thoppumpady, said he was inundated with questions despite continuing to supply just one full load to a long-term vendor. “We are primarily involved in the supply of timber for furniture, not in the firewood trade. Still, I get five or six requests a day,” he said.

The tonnage price of fuelwood has already increased by ₹ 500 and may increase further if the LPG crisis worsens. Fuelwood, once available for less than ₹3,000 a tonne, apart from being sold as sawdust to mills in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, was largely confined to industrial boilers, given the ubiquitous LPG connections in the state.

Hameed Shah, who supplied five tonnes of fuelwood to Samridhi from his sawmill in Thrissur, said plywood mills are facing labor shortage as migrant workers from Assam and Odisha return home for revision of electoral rolls. “With the increase in demand, workers chopping trees may also increase their wages, which will further increase prices. Residents near plywood mills already come with small vehicles to collect firewood,” he said.

However, Sawmill Owners and Plywood Manufacturers Association president Mujeeb Rahman maintained that availability would not be an issue. “Every Malayali household has at least two cylinders, so there is no need to panic. Even if the demand increases, we can meet it by restricting the supply to the industry,” he said.