Tripura’s Agarwood draws attention of Japan, delegates show interest on trade collaboration

Agartala, Oct. 23: A special delegation from Japan, accompanied by senior officials from the Government of India and the Tripura Forest Department, visited the agarwood-based industrial units in Kadamtala, a small town located in the North Tripura district.

The primary objective of the visit was to foster bilateral cooperation in the sector. All Tripura Agar Association, a body of the agarwood cultivators of the area played a vital role in making the visit successful.

The Japanese delegation comprised Kei Otsuki, Second Secretary of the Economic Wing at the Embassy of Japan in India; and Mr Fujiwara Hidenobu, a representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in India. They commenced their visit at 10 am with a tour of the agarwood market at Dharmanagar railway station.

Following this, they visited the agarwood plantations in the Kadamtala area, where they took part in the ceremonial planting of five agarwood seedlings.

The delegation also visited North Phulbari to inspect the Maman wood, chips, and agar oil industry.

Other notable participants in the visit included Ms Nishtha Vengurlekar, Development Specialist at JICA India; and senior officials from Tripura, including Pravin Agrawal, IFS, CEO and Project Director of the Tripura JICA Project; and Gautam Das, IFS, Director of the Agartala Forest Academy.

Among those present were Paushali Roy, IFS, Director of SFM, District Forest Officer Suman Malla, Kadamtala Panchayat Samiti Chairman Mihir Ranjan Nath; and key representatives from the All Tripura Agar Association, including President Shailen Nath and Secretary Anfar Ali.

The Japanese officials expressed their admiration for the flourishing agarwood industry in Tripura, acknowledging its importance not only for the state but for India’s growing export market. "Agarwood from Tripura has gained international recognition, and its products are highly sought after abroad," one of the delegates told the press. They noted that the Kadamtala block in the North District is the largest producer of agarwood in Tripura.

Anfar Ali, Secretary of the All Tripura Agar Association, underscored the crucial support the industry has received from both the central and state governments.

"We have hosted delegations from various countries, and other parts of the country. The Agarwood industry here is now being noticed by people from across the globe. The visit from Japan is particularly significant as they have recognised the potential of Tripura’s agarwood sector," said Ali.

He also mentioned plans for a major investment of approximately Rs 400 crore in the industry.

Currently, agarwood products from Tripura are exported to key Indian markets such as Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh, as well as to international destinations in the Middle East.

Ali said, "With continued support from the Government of India and the Tripura government, we are hopeful that it will become easier to access the global market for export linkages.”