Assam BJP Demands Fair Pay for Local Agarwood Growers

Guwahati: The Assam BJP state unit threw its weight behind the government’s plan to boost the agarwood industry on August 28. Party spokesperson Jayanta Kumar Goswami demanded that indigenous farmers see the real cash from this trade. Farmers have spent years tending these trees. They need fair pay for their hard work. No single group should hold a monopoly over this sector.

Goswami wants a clear policy. He urged officials to set strict rules for registration, pricing, and exports. The goal is to keep middlemen out of the pockets of the families who actually grow the wood. “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.” He stressed that the trade must not stay trapped in one group.

The plan aims to slash red tape. The state wants to make felling and transport easier for small growers. New tech and better market access could turn agarwood into a goldmine for rural areas. Goswami urged the state to move beyond raw wood sales. He wants local plants producing oil, attar, and finished fragrances.

The BJP thanked Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for the push. They also praised Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, Industries Minister Bimal Borah, and Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika for talking with local producers. This policy could change lives. It must keep indigenous growers at the top of the chain.