Assam Launches Task Force to Clean Up Illegal Agarwood Trade

Guwahati: Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah announced a new task force on Wednesday, August 26, to monitor the state's agarwood trade. The move follows concerns that cultivators operate in the shadows to avoid police and forest department crackdowns. Currently, two lakh hectares of non-forest land grow the trees, but the sector remains plagued by intermediaries who squeeze the profits out of real farmers.

The minister blasted past practices during a workshop on the industry. "The business had for years been viewed as illegal," Mallabaruah said. This perception fostered deep uncertainty among legitimate traders. While the state boasts a capacity to ship 1.20 lakh kg of agarwood and 5,000 litres of oil annually, only 120 kg left the state last year. Officials also flagged reports of Indonesian dry wood being smuggled through Assam for export.

State authorities officially began shutting down the Monpally market in Hojai on Wednesday to curb these irregular operations. The government plans to build an auction system to ensure fair pricing. They also want to boost local processing plants. Outside of the trade, Mallabaruah addressed complaints about flood relief funds, noting that duplicate bank payments occurred due to urgent disbursement demands. He confirmed those payments stopped once officials spotted the errors.