India's Agarwood Industry Receives Major Boost with New CITES Export Quota

New Delhi, Jul 29 (KNN) In a significant development for India's agarwood industry, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has approved a new export quota for Aquilaria malaccensis, commonly known as agarwood, effective April 2024.

This decision comes after India successfully prevented the inclusion of agarwood in the Review of Significant Trade (RST), marking a major victory for the country's environmental diplomacy.

The Botanical Survey of India (BSI), under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, conducted a comprehensive non-detriment findings (NDF) study, which played a crucial role in this achievement.

The study, led by BSI scientist Avishek Bhattacharjee, revealed that India has an estimated 139.89 million agarwood plants, making it one of the most cultivated species in Northeast India.

The newly approved export quota allows for 151,080 kg of agarwood chips and powder/sawdust, and 7,050 kg of agarwood oil annually from 2024 to 2027. This move is expected to benefit thousands of farmers in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura, where agarwood cultivation is widespread.

Agarwood, prized for its aromatic properties, has various applications in the perfume industry, traditional medicine, and air fresheners. The plant's resinous wood forms due to fungal infection, often triggered by stem borer larvae.

While natural infection typically occurs in trees over seven years old, some regions have reported infections in plants as young as two years.

The approval of this export quota is particularly significant given the history of illegal trade in agarwood products. Despite an export ban, over 1.25 tonnes of chips and 6 litres of oil were seized across six Indian states between 2017 and 2021, according to a TRAFFIC report.

This development is expected to formalise the agarwood trade, potentially reducing illegal activities and benefiting legitimate growers.

However, the NDF study emphasises that harvesting should be restricted to cultivated plants, protecting wild populations in protected areas and reserve forests.

As India moves forward with this new export quota, it will be crucial to balance economic opportunities for farmers with the conservation of this valuable species. The success of this initiative could serve as a model for sustainable management of other commercially important plant species in the future.

(KNN Bureau)