Demand of Agarwood is huge

[pharmadig]

Agar Distillation
Agar distillation is an important small scale industry in Manipur. FRLHT’s study team visited the distillation unit of Md. Talib Ali at Kshertri Chandam Leikai, Imphal, East Manipur. Mr. Ali is involved in distillation of Agar oil for the past more than 30 years and is able to know the various qualities of agar wood. He purchases approximately 5 MT of wood per year from the state forest department through open auction.
Agar wood auctioned by the Manipur SFD is of two main qualities, (a) the best grade obtained from older trees growing in hot humid places on rocky areas, having close grains with fungal attack spots and yielding jet black wood chips. This grade wood sells for Rs.10,000 to Rs.15,000 per Qtl, and (b) the lower grade of white colour, loose and soft grains and without fungal attack. This grade wood is sold at about Rs. 2,000 per Qtl.
Distillation of 5 MT wood yields about 10 litres of oil. Good/ high quality agar oil, extracted from fungal-infected agar wood, fetches a price of upto Rs.10,000/- per 10 ml. The lower quality oil fetches about Rs. 2,000/- per 10 ml. Agar oil has a good global market with high demand in Gulf countries, Thailand and Japan.
Source:NMPB
Annual demand of Aquilaria agallocha heartwood by Indian herbal industry exceeds 150 metric tons and demand is met mostly by imports.
Pharmadig

 

[ali4all2004]

Aquilaria Agallocha
By Editorial Team • on March 1, 2005
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Agar or Attar tree

Agar or Attar tree is a tropical deciduous tree, which is very valuable for its transformed wood which on distillation yield Agar oil which has high export value. Cultivation is through seed raised seedlings. Suitable for both open and partial shade. Artificial induction of agar in live trees is possible. Takes 8-20 years for agar development. Botanists call it Aquillaria Agallocha Roxb, manufacturers call it Agaru and, the common man simply calls it agar.

General description
Large evergreen tree, 18-21 meters, sometimes up to 40 meters in height, 1.5-2.5 meters in girth, moderately straight and often fluted stem. Leaves are 5-9 cm. long and oblong-lance late. Flowers are white, green, or dirty yellow with umbellate cymes. Agar oil, is highly valued and universally prized as `Otto of Roses’.

Agar though little known in Assam and North-East is a highly sought after commodity, and the premiums it commands today in the international markets has dramatically transformed the lives of animals. Agar is inextricably linked to Assam’s rich cultural heritage. It was during the 1940’s that some enterprising families hailing from the erstwhile Sylhet district of Assam, now in Bangladesh, had the expertise to identify agarwood and agar-attar from these trees for commercial ends. But with partition, and a truncated. India, the Agar entrepreneurs relocated at Hojai, who then ventured to build agar business as a cottage industry.

High premium
Both natural and man-made factors are responsible for the extra-ordinary high premum attributed to Agar. The oil boom of the 70’s has greatly enhanced the value that Agar commands. From a rate of Rs.50/- per 15 grams for Agar oil., today, the double super quality of agar from Imphal’s oil fetches and commands a rate of Rs.6000/- per 15 grams.

Value addition
It is nothing but a rate fungus that attaches itself to the agar tree that has made agar such a valuable and sought after product. This fungus once it establishes itself on the tree turns the woody trunks into a deep brownish black colour. The darker the woody bark turns due to fungal infection, the more valuable the wood. It is the fungus that gives the agar wood its unique aroma, when it is burnt. In the case of agar, it is the raw article or the wood of the infected tree that fetches the highest rate. This dark coloured wood is skillfully cut into smaller pieces, which are sold to be burnt as a kind of room incense especially popular in the Middle East.

Aquilaria Agallocha | Agriculture and Industry Survey

Process of oil extraction
Once the Agar wood is procured, it is classified on the basis of quality. The less darker pieces are put into larger water drums to soften. Once these wood pieces soften, they are ground into a power and are put into vessels and they are heated so as to encourage the ground agar to release the oil within it. Once the water inside the vessel reaches a certain boiling temperature then the oil from the wood along with the water vapor reaches a cooling container.