Context
The Assam government recently facilitated the state’s first officially approved export of agarwood chips to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
About Agarwood
- Agarwood, scientifically known as Aquilaria malaccensis, is a fast-growing subtropical tree of the Thymelaeaceae family, commonly called Oud, Agar or Gaharu.
- It is naturally distributed across the Himalayan foothills, Southeast Asia and the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, while in India it mainly occurs in Northeastern states such as Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur.
- The tree can grow in varied soil conditions, including poor sandy soils.
- Its highly valued aromatic resin forms as a defence response when the tree is infected by mould species such as
- Agarwood is widely used in perfumes, incense, cosmetics and traditional products, with strong demand across the Gulf region, Europe and Southeast Asia.
