Assam Farmers Get Relief as Guwahati Airport Gets Agarwood Clearance

New Delhi, October 31: Farmers and exporters in Assam are set to benefit after the Centre cleared Guwahati's Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport as an official export hub for agarwood chips and agarwood oil.

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, made the announcement on Saturday. He said the decision was taken on the request of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and was conveyed through a post on X.

According to the minister, the clearance will ease the path for those involved in producing and trading the product, where Assam holds a leading position. He added that the development would strengthen logistics for the entire Northeast and shorten the distance to potential markets.

Goyal also offered his congratulations to the people of Assam and the wider Northeast.

The latest decision follows the export of 123 kilograms of agarwood pieces from Assam to Dubai in October. The state government had described that shipment as an important step for the region.

Sarma had said the export was a meaningful move toward expanding international demand for the state's heritage agarwood sector, in which over 50,000 farmers and workers are employed. He said Assam was carrying its fragrant legacy to the world.

The Chief Minister's office has noted that Assam accounts for about 81 per cent of the country's agarwood resources.

Agarwood is derived from Aquilaria species trees and is valued for its fragrance. It is commonly used in perfumes, incense sticks, essential oils and traditional scented goods.