CM Himanta flags off agarwood export from Assam to Dubai
Synopsis
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma flagged off 123 kg of agarwood chips from Guwahati to Dubai on 26 October 2026 under the ODOP initiative, with MJI Group exporting the produce of Golaghat farmers, three of whom received cheques at Lok Sewa Bhawan.
Key Takeaways
123 kg of agarwood chips from Golaghat district farmers exported to Dubai on 26 October 2026 .
Shipment flagged off by CM Dr.
Himanta Biswa Sarma at Lok Sewa Bhawan, Guwahati .
Export carried out by MJI Group under the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative.
Three agarwood farmers received cheques directly from the Chief Minister at the ceremony.
ODOP was launched by the Government of India in 2018 to boost district-level exports and value addition.
Assam has promoted agarwood as a commercial crop through subsidies and training since the early 2010s, targeting Gulf and Southeast Asian luxury markets.
A batch of 123 kg of agarwood chips — one of the world's most coveted fragrance commodities — left Guwahati for Dubai on Monday, 26 October 2026, marking a quiet but consequential milestone for farmers in Golaghat district. Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma flagged off the consignment at Lok Sewa Bhawan, placing Northeast India's prized forest crop on an international trade route.
Golaghat farmers reach the Gulf market
The shipment, exported by MJI Group, is the direct product of small-scale agarwood cultivators in Golaghat, a district in eastern Assam that has steadily built a reputation for high-quality agarwood cultivation over the past decade. The consignment travels under the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative — the Government of India's 2018 flagship scheme designed to identify, develop, and export one signature product per district, turning local agricultural identity into global commercial currency.
To underline that the gains are personal as well as macroeconomic, CM Sarma handed cheques directly to three agarwood farmers at the ceremony — a deliberate signal that the export earnings flow back to the cultivators, not just to the trading chain above them.
Why agarwood, and why now
Agarwood — produced from the resin-saturated heartwood of Aquilaria trees — commands extraordinary prices in Gulf and Southeast Asian markets, where it is prized for luxury perfumery, incense, and traditional medicine. Assam holds one of the world's most suitable climates for its cultivation, and the state government has backed the crop with subsidies and farmer-training programmes since the early 2010s. Yet for most small holders, the path from tree to export container has historically been blocked by fragmented supply chains and a lack of aggregation support.
The ODOP framework addresses precisely that gap — providing branding, logistics linkages, and export facilitation that individual farmers or micro-enterprises cannot access alone. Golaghat's selection as the district anchor for agarwood under ODOP concentrates official support and makes this Dubai shipment a proof-of-concept for what could become a recurring trade corridor.
Assam's broader export push from the Northeast
CM Sarma, in office since May 2021, has consistently framed economic diversification and export promotion as pillars of Assam's development agenda. This flagging-off fits a larger pattern: state governments in the Northeast have increasingly partnered with central MSME and agricultural export schemes to bring non-traditional, high-value crops — from large cardamom to lemon grass oil — into formal global supply chains.
The Dubai destination is also strategically significant. The UAE is a primary re-export hub for agarwood into broader Gulf, European, and East Asian luxury markets. A successful first shipment by MJI Group could open the door for larger, repeat consignments — and potentially for other Assam districts watching Golaghat's lead.
For Assam's farmers, the cheque ceremony may be the most important image of the day. Turning forest cultivation into foreign exchange — and making sure the grower feels it — is precisely the outcome the policy was designed to deliver.
Point of View
Something previous state-level efforts struggled to sustain. CM Sarma's decision to hand cheques to individual farmers — not just announce aggregate export figures — reflects a studied effort to make the economic dividend visible and personal, shoring up political credibility in a farming community. If the Dubai pipeline is regularised, it could serve as a template for other high-value Assam crops like lemon grass oil or large cardamom, deepening the state's integration with central MSME export policy. The broader question is whether single-consignment moments translate into durable supply chains or remain ceremony-driven one-offs.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is agarwood and why is it valuable?
Agarwood is a resin-rich heartwood produced by Aquilaria trees when infected by a specific mould; it is prized globally for luxury perfumery, incense, and traditional medicine, commanding some of the highest prices of any plant-based commodity, especially in Gulf and East Asian markets.
What is the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme?
ODOP is a Government of India initiative launched in 2018 that identifies one signature product per district, then provides branding, logistics, and export facilitation support to boost district-level manufacturing and trade.
Which district produced the agarwood chips exported to Dubai?
Golaghat district in eastern Assam produced the 123 kg of agarwood chips that were exported to Dubai under the ODOP initiative on 26 October 2026 .
Who exported the agarwood from Guwahati to Dubai?
The export was carried out by MJI Group , which sourced the agarwood chips from farmers in Golaghat district.
Has Assam exported agarwood before?
Assam has promoted agarwood cultivation with subsidies and training since the early 2010s, but large-scale, structured export under a central scheme framework such as ODOP represents a more recent and formalised push to connect small farmers directly to international markets.
