(THE GIST OF PIB) Agarwood

(JANUARY-2026)

Agarwood

Recently, the Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region laid the foundation stone for the ₹80 crore Agarwood Value Chain Development Scheme.

About Agarwood:

Aquilaria malaccensis, commonly known as agarwood, is a species of tree belonging to the Thymelaeaceae family.
It is also known as Oud, Gaharu or Agar is prized as the world’s most valuable incense.
The resin is produced as a defence mechanism due to the intense stress suffered by the trees when they are infected by a type of mold belonging to the Phaeoacremonium species (Phialophora parasitica).
The Aquilaria tree is a fast-growing, subtropical forest tree.
Distribution: It is mainly found in South Asia’s Himalayan foothills, throughout Southeast Asia, and into the rainforests of Papua New Guinea.
In India, it grows in the wild in the Northeast, especially in Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur.
Soil: Aquilaria can grow on a wide range of soils, including poor sandy soil.
Applications of Agarwood: The resinous wood is used as incense, for medicinal purposes, and pure resin in distilled form is used as an essential oil as well as a perfume component.