Kerala Forest Department Auctions
The timber we import enters our supply chain at the Kerala Forest Department's official auction system — a state institution that has managed South Indian forests continuously since 1822. KFD compartments operate on 50–60+ year rotation cycles, producing old-growth Tectona grandis with the dimensional, oil, and density properties that commercial plantation teak cannot replicate.
Every lot we acquire carries a compartment ID, a scheduled rate reference under the relevant Government Order, and an auction record. The provenance chain does not begin at a broker's warehouse. It begins at the stump, with paperwork issued by a state forestry department.
Log-Yard Grading Before Any Mill Decision
Logs are assessed at the yard before milling begins. Grain structure, density, oil indication, colour, and dimensional character determine which of our three grade tiers — FEQ, MEQ, or HQ — each log feeds into.
This is the irreversible decision point. Tier assignment happens once, at origin, by graders who handle teak every day. It is not adjustable downstream. The tier on your invoice is the tier that left the log yard in India.
Sawn, Seasoned, Specified
Logs are sawn to the dimensions you specify, kiln-dried to your target moisture content (typically 8–12%), and finished as raw sawn, kiln-dried, or planed all round. Custom cut lists are included in the lead time, not charged as an additional service.
Material that does not meet our internal grade thresholds is not sold under our name. There is no downgrade route, no secondary channel, no "B-stock" disposal. Rejected material stays in India.
Sixteen Documents. Per Consignment. Every Time.
Every Grainarch consignment ships with a complete documentation pack built for UKTR scrutiny: KFD auction records, compartment IDs, scheduled rate references, mill invoices, species identification, grade assignment, moisture content reports, cubic metre certifications, phytosanitary certificates, ISPM-15 declarations, commercial invoices, bills of lading, certificates of origin, UKTR risk assessments, and — for rosewood — CITES export and import permits.
Sixteen items per consignment. The complete list is published on our Compliance page. Sample paperwork from previous shipments is available to qualifying trade clients on request, before you commit to an order.
CIF to Port. DDP to Door. UK Aftercare.
Standard delivery is CIF to UK port (typically Felixstowe, Southampton, or London Gateway). DDP-to-door delivery is available across England and Wales for kerbside handover, with the documentation pack transferred alongside the physical consignment.
Lead time is tier-dependent. FEQ-tier material already in UK stock ships in 4–10 weeks. MEQ-tier milled to order ships in 6–12 weeks. HQ-tier lot-mix ships in 8–14 weeks. Exact timelines are confirmed in writing before you place an order.
Kerala's forestry department was founded in 1822 — over two hundred years of continuous, regulated, state-managed timber operation. Few institutions in any sector can claim that level of operational continuity.
It is not marketing language. It is the regulatory record of a state forestry department whose practices are documented, scheduled-rate audited, publicly accountable, and have been for longer than most of the buyers reading this page have had a profession.
View the Compliance Detail