Indus Valley Times

By Dalim Phukan

Guwahati/Assam , Aug 30 : The Bharatiya Janata Party, Assam Pradesh, has wholeheartedly welcomed the significant initiative taken by the Government of Assam to transform the State’s traditional agarwood sector into a well-organised, transparent and globally-oriented industry.

Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the initiative to develop the agarwood sector not merely as a commercial activity but as a strong pillar of Assam’s rural and indigenous economy is both timely and historic, said Jayanta Kumar Goswami, spokesperson of BJP Assam Pradesh, in a statement.

Goswami said that a large number of indigenous farmers and families in Assam have been engaged in agarwood cultivation for decades, investing their hard work, time and resources in nurturing the trees. However, despite the immense commercial value of agarwood and its growing demand in international markets, the genuine growers often do not receive a proportionate share of the economic benefits. The influence of certain powerful business interests and intermediaries at various stages of the agarwood value chain—from production and collection to processing and marketing—has, in many instances, resulted in the interests of the actual producers being overlooked.

 “The farmer who plants an agarwood tree, nurtures it for years and invests his land, labour and money must be the first and foremost beneficiary of the economic value generated from agarwood. The benefits of the agarwood trade cannot remain confined to any particular group or intermediary network,” said Jayanta Kumar Goswami.

He said that the most important aspect of the Government’s new initiative must be the protection of the interests of genuine indigenous agarwood growers. The Government should establish a transparent and robust policy framework and clear criteria so that genuine growers receive direct benefits in areas including registration, fair valuation of their produce, transportation, processing and export.

Goswami further stated that agarwood is not merely a tree for Assam; it is a valuable natural resource deeply connected with the land and has the potential to become an important source of livelihood for thousands of families. With appropriate policies, modern technology, scientific practices and direct access to international markets, the agarwood sector has the potential to bring about a transformative change in Assam’s rural economy.

“The value of Assam’s agarwood may increase in markets outside the State, but its economic benefits must first reach the homes of Assam’s agarwood growers,” the BJP Assam Pradesh spokesperson said.

He particularly appreciated the initiative of the Assam Government to reduce procedural and regulatory difficulties faced by agarwood growers and to facilitate the processes relating to plantation, felling, transportation and trade, while simultaneously taking steps to establish Assam’s agarwood in international markets. Such initiatives, he said, send a highly positive signal for the strengthening of Assam’s indigenous economy.

If every stakeholder—from small agarwood growers to young entrepreneurs—is brought into the new agarwood value chain, it can create significant opportunities for employment and self-employment across rural Assam. Expansion of value-added production of agarwood oil, attar, fragrances and other products within Assam can help the State move beyond being merely a supplier of raw agarwood and emerge as a world-class centre for agarwood processing and exports.

Jayanta Kumar Goswami expressed his sincere gratitude to Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma for taking this important initiative. He also thanked Forest Minister Shri Jayanta Malla Baruah, Minister for Industries, Commerce and Public Enterprises Shri Bimal Borah, and Agriculture Minister Shri Pijush Hazarika for engaging with agarwood growers, producers and other stakeholders and for advancing this important initiative.

He said that the new approach of the Assam Government towards the agarwood sector, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, has the potential to open a new chapter in the economic empowerment of Assam’s indigenous communities. The Bharatiya Janata Party, Assam Pradesh, hopes that the Government will further strengthen this process and ensure that the genuine agarwood growers of Assam remain at the centre of ownership, value creation and economic benefits generated by the sector.

This will be the true success of Assam’s agarwood industry and a powerful step towards indigenous economic empowerment in the journey towards a ‘Viksit Assam’.