Consumer's Preference of Secondary Timbers: Conjoint Analysis

Abstract

Lesser-Utilized-Species (LUS) is also called as secondary timbers which can substitute the scarce primary timbers in wood industries. This paper attempts to assess the consumer preference for both treated and untreated secondary timbers. The sample respondents of 130 were selected on a random basis from Coimbatore, Erode and the Nilgiris districts which comprised of sawmills, furniture manufacturing units, builders, and carpenters. The predominant secondary timbers were Neem and Eucalyptus in Coimbatore district, Mango and Vagai in Erode district and Naval and Silver oak in the Nilgiris district. The choice of decision making to prefer secondary timbers were kind of timber (34.68%), price of timber (23.43%), the status of treatment (21.49%) and its durability (20.40%). Non-availability of seasoning units, lack of knowledge on the properties of secondary timbers, quality-related problems in the secondary timbers and presence of substitute products were the major problems for untreated secondary timbers, whereas lack of remunerative price, high cost of inputs, lack of credit facilities and lack of awareness about treatments were the major constraints in production of treated secondary timbers.