Agarwood Farming in India

Workers separate fungi-inoculated agarwood from non-fungi-inoculated agarwood for the grinding process at a farm in the Nagaon district of Assam, India, on March 19, 2023. Agarwood, also known as gaharu or aloe wood, forms in a tropical evergreen tree called the agar tree (Aquilaria species), which is believed to have originated in Assam, India. Both agarwood oil and the wood itself are derived from around three species of Aquilaria trees that grow in regions ranging from the eastern states of India, through Burma, down to Thailand, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, Papua New Guinea, and even Borneo. Agarwood is one of the most expensive non-timber wood products in the world, with a variety of uses in the perfume, cosmetics, and medicine sectors.