Staff Reporter
Guwahati: 'After tea and oil, Assam should be globally known for its precious wealth-agarwood. The climate and landscape of Assam are best suited for agar tree plantations. There is a high demand for agarwood from Assam in global markets, particularly in the Middle East, because of its best-quality aroma. Besides, a huge domestic market for flavours and perfumes is also knocking on the door,' said Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota.
The Chief Secretary called upon the youth, particularly potential start-ups, for a collective effort in achieving economic milestones in agarwood and expressed hope that over a period, a time would come that tourists visiting Assam would be able to take back home Assamese indigenous agar oil or perfume along with the traditional gamocha, japi, xorai, or rhino models. Dr. Ravi Kota said this while delivering his address at the inauguration of the state's first licensed manufacturing cum retail store for perfume and agar - MJI Perfumes, the first make-in-Assam perfume from local agar, in the city today.
At the initiative of the state government, an Agar International Trade Centre will soon be inaugurated at Golaghat, and it will be dedicated to the promotion and commercialization of agarwood and its value-added products. It is expected to open new vistas for agar producers in Assam and encourage entrepreneurship, expansion, and growth, he stressed. It is necessary to mention here that the global agarwood chip market is alone slated to grow to USD 16.5 billion (Rs 1.35 lakh crores) by 2034. However, there are international market restrictions on agar, and this should improve in the coming days. But there is a huge domestic market within reach, and agarwood has a great potential for creating a new 'Green Revolution' in Assam after tea. Elaborating on the challenges faced by the agar industry, Dr. Ravi Kota further said that 'Most of the units processing agar oil are small-scale operators, unorganised, and mostly concentrated in a few districts of Assam. In view of the same, the Industries and Commerce Department has brought out the Assam Agarwood Promotion Policy 2020 to support agar cultivation and its flourishing industries.'
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