Context

• The Tripura initiates steps to promote cultivation of Agar to transform the Economy.

About Agarwood:

• It is known as the wood of the gods; a product of the religious and cultural aroma.
• Agarwood is an economically important and fast-growing evergreen tree species native to North East India.
• It is creating a paradigm shift to explore new dynamics of access and benefit-sharing.
• Apart from India, the Agar tree’s distribution ranges from the foothills of the Himalayas to Papua New Guinea.
• Aquilaria malaccensis or Agar Tree is an aromatic plant.
• After Assam, the Tripura government has taken all-out initiatives to encourage farmers for commercial cultivation of agar.
• Agarwood species have a huge potential of creating an Economic Revolution in Tripura after Rubber, Bamboo, and other major forestry crops.

Tripura AgarWood Policy 2021:

• The Agar species are critically endangered.
• In Tripura, due to adaptability of the land and low input for management and growth, intercropping adaptation could make Agar a preferred cash crop.
• To promote Agar tree, Agarwood based industry, its plantation, it’s sustainable harvesting, the Tripura government released the ‘Tripura AgarWood Policy 2021,’ which aims to double agarwood plantation by the year 2025.
• The potential of Agar trade in the state is estimated to be around Rs 2000 crore.
• From generating employment, source of livelihood to improving farming stature in India, the policy serves as a comprehensive roadmap for the promotion of Agar for economic revolution in the state of Tripura.
• It aims to promote the Agarwood-based Industries by ensuring Ease of Doing Business and by providing proper market linkages.
• It will encourage Research and development in the field of artificial inoculation for agarwood formation, sustainable harvesting, and improvement in the quantity and quality of products.
• Agarwood processing and trade is secretive and restricted to only a few groups.
• Both oil and Agarwood chips are being sold in the North East Market in Assam. However, its value in the international market is many times more than what it is being sold for in the North East Market.
• Through this policy, it is attempted to get the right price to the growers of Agar for the Agar products originated from Tripura.
• Agarwood is described as a fragrant product of wealth and luxury in one of the world’s oldest written texts of Vedas.

https://newsonair.com/2021/07/24/tripura-initiates-steps-to-promote-cultivation-of-agar-to-transform-the-economy/

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