By Firstdespatch Desk Jan 23, 2025
Agartala, Jan 23 (FD) Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Thursday greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister for Industry Piyush Goyal for revising the limits of Agar wood and Agar oil multiple times.
The central Government in a notification on Jan 20 has revised the export limits of Agar wood and Agar oil export from 25,000 Kg per annum to 1, 51, 080 Kg per annum.
Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha in a face book post on Thursday said, “A big boost to Agarwood and Agar oil Export by Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi Ji & UM Piyush Goyal Ji.
Paving way for #UnnatTripura Shrestha Tripura, the Central Government’s @ DoC GoI has revised the export limits of Agarwood and Agar Oil multiple times further easing the terms of supply.
This is a revolutionary step that will help Tripura to walk on the path of #VikshitBharat rapidly”
Agar tree or Aquilaria malaccensis, a major source of medicines and perfumes, might be a critically endangered species on the IUCN list, but it grows in abundance in Tripura, giving the state a glorious opportunity to commercially cultivate the plant and boost the economy, a forest official said.
Agartala has been named after the evergreen tree, he noted. "Intercropping adaptation could make Agar a preferred cash crop, given the low input for management and growth,” he added.
Tripura government, under its Agar wood policy launched in the year 2021, aims to double plantation by 2025. Agar trade is expected to generate around Rs 2,000 crore per annum for the state, he said.
The Director of the Non-Timber Forest Products Centre of Excellence of the state government, Prasad Rao said the policy revision is strategic for Agar growers.
“The state government had repeatedly requested the DoNER to revise the policy, which has simplified documentation and reduced the export clearance timeline from six months to one and half months”, he told reporters.
Tripura has at least 1.50 crore Agar trees in the districts of North Tripura and Unakoti. FD JK