Runima Das, Pearlin Shabna Naziz & Supriyo Sen

Agarwood is arguably the costliest wood in the world and so is the essential oil from the tree. Although known to mankind since ages, the mechanism of formation of the fragrant molecules is still not fully understood. This mystery makes it a subject of active scientific inquiry. 

Agarwood is a rare oriental source of fragrance, produced only in pockets of South and Southeast Asia, which is prioritized in the perfume and cosmetic industry. Apart from India the major producers of agarwood are Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and China.

In India, agarwood production is confined to the north-eastern region, particularly Assam. The agarwood industry of Assam centred around places like Nahorani (Golaghat), Namti (Sivasagar), Hojai (Nagaon) dates back to the time when traders from erstwhile Sylhet district (now in Bangladesh) are believed to have initiated the business. Presently, production units have been established in several pockets of Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivsagar, Nagaon, Karbi Anglong districts and Barak Valley region of Assam, which are famous in the global flavour and fragrance market. Since A. malaccensis plants are rarely found in the wild, demand is mostly met by homestead plantations raised by local farmers who make decent earning by selling resin impregnated plants to distilleries located in villages near agarwood plantations...read more on NOPR