Kashmir’s famed cricket bat industry is facing a deep crisis as the production of willow, the key raw material used in bat-making, has declined sharply over the past few decades.
Kashmir is the only region in India that produces willow suitable for making cricket bats and is home to around 400 to 450 bat manufacturing units clustered mainly in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The ₹700-crore industry produces around 1.5 million bats annually and supports thousands of people across farming, manufacturing and trade.
But the industry representatives say that declining willow production has left the manufacturers distraught and struggling to source quality wood, rendering some manufacturing units moribund.
“Willow production in Kashmir has declined by around 75 per cent over the last few decades,” said Fawzul Kabiir, Owner of GR8 sports and spokesperson of the Cricket Bat Manufacturers Association of Kashmir.
“Seventy thousand trees are hacked every year, and farmers are no longer cultivating willow as they have switched to other lucrative alternatives.”
According to manufacturers, farmers are increasingly opting to grow poplar, which matures faster and offers quicker financial returns. A willow tree typically takes 20 to 25 years to reach maturity, while poplar can be harvested in about 8 to 12 years, making it a more attractive option for famers.
“Poplar gives returns in a much shorter time, so farmers prefer it over willow. This shift has severely impacted the availability of raw material for the bat industry,” Kabiir said, adding that he started willow plantation for his own unit.
Bat makers say the shortage of local willow has also driven up costs, forcing some units to cut production or lay off workers. Smaller workshops, which lack the capital to stockpile wood or import alternatives, have been hit the hardest. The decline has come despite Kashmir bats gaining international recognition, with several players at the international level using locally made willow bats.
Industry insiders say at least 37 international cricketers, both men and women, have used Kashmir willow bats, showing their growing acceptance as an alternative to English willow.
“However, the industry’s future remains uncertain without policy intervention to revive willow cultivation,” said another manufacturer.
He said that the government should encourage and incentivise farmers to grow willow .
“If timely steps are not taken to encourage willow plantations, this traditional industry could vanish soon,” he added.
Published on January 16, 2026
