Agarwood is the most common species in the home gardens of both Upper Assam and some parts of the processing areas of Hojai and Lanka, as well as the other states of the region. Agarwood has been planted as a shade tree in most of the tea gardens of Assam, and it has proved to be one of the most successful and compatible Agarwood-growing models. The climate is also ideal for Agarwood cultivation.

According to a survey by the Forest Department of Assam in 2003-04, more than 90,00,000 trees were counted in the home gardens and private farmlands of North Eastern states. Every year, farmers harvested over 7,28,000 trees and supplied them to 9,100 Agar oil extraction factories. The local trade centers of Nyamathi and Nahorani in Upper Assam supplied harvested Agarwood to Islamnagar, Lanka and Hojai for processing. Further, while over 50,000 farmers/workers were involved in the Agarwood business directly, over 1,50,000 people indirectly benefited from it.

Conservation of the species in its natural habitat is possible only through the domestication of the wild species. Currently, there are hardly any Agarwood trees in the wild. According to an estimate, there are over 20 million trees in the private farmlands of Upper Assam and other North Eastern states.

In several instances, government institutions and forest departments have developed Agarwood trees under the various wasteland management schemes. The Forest Department of Assam also developed some plantations under the afforestation schemes. Recently, Arunachal Pradesh converted large areas of degraded forests into Agarwood plantations through its Silviculture Department.

At Agrotech Resources, naturally growing trees in the home gardens, tea estates and private lands of small farmers are purchased and processed into chips and Oudh oil. We have developed a good Agarwood sourcing network by establishing long-term and close contacts with the people of North Eastern region.

The formation of Agarwood is generally associated with the wounding and fungal infection of Aquilaria trees. The resin is secreted by the trees as a defense reaction and deposited around the wounds over the years following the injury, where the accumulation of the volatile compounds eventually forms Agarwood. The accumulated oleoresins produce precious Agar oil and Agaru, and become odoriferous. Accumulation of oleoresins gets deeper as per the rate and the ageing of infection. As more oleoresins are deposited, the colour of the infected wood gets intensified and changes from brown to black.

Naturally, Agarwood formation is due to the physical wounding or damage of trees caused by thunder strike, animal grazing, pests and diseases, which expose the inner part of the trees to fungal microbes, which initiate the defense mechanism of trees for resin production. Native farmers apply mechanical injuries before the spring season by making deep cuts with a sharp axe. Such artificial injuries provide an infection site for fungus and also push the tree to undergo stress. Many traditional wounding techniques include nailing, holing, burning, trunk breaking and bark removal to create physical wounding and stress to develop Agar.

In a natural forest, on an average, only 7% of Agar trees may become infected, but in Upper Assam, over 50% of trees get infected, and hence productive. Based on the rate of infection, these trees are classified as slightly infected, moderately infected, and severely affected. The ‘Dum Type’ of product obtained out of these kinds of treatment is locally called as ‘Ghap Mal’, which goes for extraction. When harvested, the severely infected parts, known as ‘Batali Mal’ are separated, from which chips are carved.

The company has developed an efficient organic method of resinous wood production that resembles the natural phenomena of Agar formation. A product is developed using a combination of native fungal strains. Mechanical injury is done to the tree trunk to allow fungi to infect the wounded parts. This operation is generally done just before the onset of the rainy season when a 30% deep cut is made on the tree trunk with the help of a sharp knife. The cuts made in this manner allow the fungal infection to begin and reach the inside of the tree trunk. This method is successful in the organic farms in cool environments where the soil is rich in naturally occurring fungi. The results so far have shown good quality resinous wood, similar to that of wild Agarwood in terms of chemical constituents and the essential oil content with a strong fragrance, ideal texture, and desirable black resin.

Agrotech Resources provides all sorts of support to farmers including technical guidelines for the natural system of cultivation, and biological methods for pest and disease management. By bearing all the costs involved, we ensure that the farmers’ lands get free organic certification through internationally accredited organizations. More importantly, we provide market support to organic farmers for Agarwood and other products which they have grown in their farms. In our farms, soil health is maintained through traditional ways by applying vermicompost, farm yard manure, green leaf mulching etc. Diseases and pests are controlled through biological ways with the help of microorganisms such as Trichoderma, azotobacter, pseudomonas etc. At Agrotech Resources, we are basically farmers, and we know what it is to be a farmer – the challenges, weather, soil, and all the related issues.

we monitor each and every step, right from the land where the products are grown to the processing facilities, transforming the products, and assuring every detail is given the attention it deserves. Our commitment is to give a win-win solution to farmers, buyers, and the environment.