Agarwood-based trade will boost state economy in next three-four years: Tripura CM 

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb stated that agarwood-based trade will boost the state's economy and generate a turnover of Rs 2,000-3000 crore in the next three to four years.

According to him, a business delegation from Loas has come here to investigate the feasibility of establishing agar-based industries in the state.

As per a study, the northeastern state has 70 lakh agar trees, and the government intends to commercialise the resource because it is in high demand abroad.

"Recently, our chief secretary and principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) travelled to Laos and Vietnam to inspect agar-based industries." "Today, a team from Laos arrived here to investigate the feasibility of establishing such industries," Deb stated  during a programme commemorating Nobel laureate Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore's 161st birth anniversary.

Previously, a large amount of agarwood was smuggled from Tripura because the state did not permit its trade, added Deb.

He also stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given him permission to export 25,000 mt of agarwood. This will help Tripura's agar trade significantly.

Moreover, Tripura Chief Minister Unveils Agar Policy aiming to Transform State Economy last year. Although the Agar species is critically endangered, intercropping adaptation could make Agar a preferred cash crop in Tripura due to the land's adaptability and low input for management and growth.