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Agarwood

Liquid Gold Rush Endangers Agarwood Trees

Sorja Tan remembers a time when it was easy to find agarwood trees – tall, straight jungle giants – that grew in the forest reserves here. Now, there are days when he leaves the forest after a long day of gaharu collecting empty-handed. “In the past, if you go to the forest, agarwood trees were not rare. You could find them close together here and there. Now, there are only a few left,” said the 22-year-old of the Temiar tribe living nearby. agarwood trees – or aquilaria malaccensis – are being logged by the tens of thousands in Malaysian jungles, mostly [...]

Brisk Business for Agarwood in Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Bukit Bintang is known for its glitzy malls and bars, which tourists make a beeline for. However, among the bustling nightspots and shopping centres, there are at least six agarwood shops and perfumeries along that street alone, attracting the stream of Arab visitors looking for the expensive scent used to, among others, spray on the curtains that cover the Kaabah in Mecca and for incense burnt in their homes. Preparing for the coming “Arab season” in August, these thriving shops have boxes and boxes of the rare wood in stock, mostly sourced from Malaysian rainforests. Shopkeepers said they buy their [...]

Agarwood Producing Trees in Malaysia are in Danger

Agarwood trees – or Aquilaria Malaccensis – are being logged by the tens of thousands in Malaysian jungles, mostly by foreigners because of the valuable agarwood, known locally as gaharu. One kilogramme of agarwood can fetch between RM4,000 and RM20,000 and its woodchips – which are turned into essential oils used in perfume and incense – fuel a RM26bil global trade every year. The rareness and value of agarwood oil has led traders to call it “liquid gold” and has sparked many to either grow or log Agarwood trees for profit. Tan is worried about the agarwood going extinct. This gold [...]

Agarwood extraction workshop in Assam India

Agarwood Extraction Workshop The team from Plantations International attended a Agarwood Extraction workshop that was held by the All Sanchi Agarwood Growers Association of Assam (ASGAA) held on June 5 to 7 at Moayimti village for the youth of the area. During the three-day workshop, ASGAA team also observed World Environment Day and planted 100 Agarwood saplings in public places and roadside of the village, informed a press release received here. The first Agarwood grower from Moayimti village, Tsuknungmangyang was also felicitated with a certificate by ASGAA on the same day. Villagers participated in the observance, where Chairman Imkongtizuk and Village Headman [...]

19 Benefits and Uses for Agarwood Oud Oil

Would you believe that an essential oud oil obtained from infected wood commands a higher price than gold? It sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? But that’s the story with Agarwood oud oil, or Oud as it is known in the Middle East. Agarwood is the resinous heartwood formed in infected trees of the evergreen Aquilaria and Gyrinops tree families, native to southeast Asia. This precious wood and its oud oil have a deep spiritual history and significance, and they are mentioned in the oldest spiritual texts – the Sahih Muslim, the Charaka Samhita, the Torah, the Bhagavad Gita, the Sushruta Samhita, Islamic [...]

Demand for Agarwood skyrocketing prices

The surging demand for incense has seen the price of Plantations International Agarwood, its main ingredient, hit an all time high. Farmers near Hong Kong are being encouraged to plant more trees, but so far, only a few seem to be in it for the long haul. Across Asia, people prefer the natural scent of incense than more modern items like air fresheners or sprays. Seen burning in temples all across the continent, the unique aroma is created when a fungus infects aqularia trees, resulting in a darkening of the wood, which is called agarwood. Joey Yuen runs an incense store [...]

A Closer Look at Agarwood

A closer look at Agarwood the ‘Wood of God’ If there are any commodities in Asia with extremely high value commercially, culturally and religiously, Agarwood would have been among the top ten list. Traded heavily in the continent for centuries from the Middle eastern countries to the Buddhist cultured countries, the special wood is undoubtedly one of the most precious wood in the world, surrounded by heavy myths and strong historical precedences. Often in Feng Shui, we hear about the mystical benefit of Agarwood. But what really is so special about this wood, and what can it benefit us from Feng [...]

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