Gaharu, the newest green gold?

Agarwood is perhaps the most prized non-timber forest product traded in the international market. The establishment of forest species producing agarwood is gaining attention at national and local levels as the resources from the natural forest are depleting over the years.

Planters see this type of plantation as green ‘gold mine’ of the future, if there is a breakthrough in inoculation technology. Agarwood (also known as gaharu, aloes wood, eagle wood, oud, chen-xiang, kalambak among other common names) is a fragrant wood that has been traded for a long time for its use in religious, medicinal and aromatic preparation.