Agarwood, agaru, Oud — one rare resource
Agarwood, agaru and Oud are names for the same extremely rare and precious aromatic natural resource — used in high-quality incense, perfume and traditional medicines.
Aquilaria malaccensis Lam. · Thymelaeaceae
The fragrance lives in the resin, not the wood
The fragrance is carried by resin-impregnated heartwood — not by ordinary healthy wood. In the Middle East, Assam's material is known as Hindi Oud.
Agarwood is used in high-quality incense, in perfumery, and in traditional medicine. Its names travel with it: agar, agaru and sashi in Assam, agaru in Sanskrit, oud in Arabic.
- Botanical name
- Aquilaria malaccensis Lam.
- Family
- Thymelaeaceae
- Local names
- Agar, agaru, sashi
- Sanskrit / Arabic
- Agaru / Oud
Why Assam suits agar cultivation
A warm, highly humid subtropical climate, soft well-drained soils and forested hill slopes give the Assam belt its particular aromatic character.
- Temperature
- Approximately 22–45 °C
- Sunlight
- Around 70%
- Annual rainfall
- 1,800–3,500 mm
- Elevation
- Sea level to 2,000 m, including hill slopes and forest
- Soil
- Soft, sandy-clayey, well-drained, often acidic — pH 4.0–6.0
- The tree
- Medium-to-large evergreen, 40–60 m tall, up to 60 cm diameter
Core growing districts
- Golaghat
- Jorhat
- Sivasagar
Other relevant districts
- Dibrugarh
- North Cachar Hills
- Karbi Anglong
- Karimganj
Naturally infected trees occur only in parts of this belt. It is this regional character — not the species alone — that is the asset.
Golaghat
Golaghat is recognised under One District One Product (ODOP) for agarwood. Approximately 45 million agar plants are concentrated around Naharani, Padumoni, Dhekial, Khumtai and neighbouring areas — making the district a base for cultivation, traditional knowledge, processing and trade.
What the belt actually holds
Four facts that shape how Assam agarwood can be supplied — each stated with the qualification it carries in the source material.
14 crore trees and plants
An industry and field estimate of agar trees and plants across Assam, cited in the MJI presentation. Clearly an estimate — a current statewide government census is still pending.
100% from private plantations
All raw material currently supplied to distillers and processors comes from private plantations, mostly homestead planting. Organised commercial plantations are improving supply reliability.
Approximately 70% non-infected
Around 70% of agar trees on patta land in Assam are non-infected, and farmers may receive minimal value from harvesting them.
Demand across three markets
Demand is high in South-East Asia, the Middle East and Japan because of the aroma quality of Assam material.
How a healthy tree becomes agarwood
Resin forms through a complex insect–plant–microorganism interaction. The science page sets out what is known, and what MJI's laboratory work adds.