"This agarwood is in demand by many people because in Islam, agarwood is one of the celestial objects, apart from Zamzam water and black stone," he said here on Sunday.
Syamsu Alam, one of the Makassar Bugis Trade Entrepreneurs (PSBM), who has been in the business of processing and exporting agarwood for a long time, encouraged the community to develop this potential.
He stated that agarwood has been exported to more than 139 countries, both in Europe, America, the Middle East, and Asia.
"Most exports are to the Middle East. For Muslims, agarwood is paradise wood and the main material for making perfumes and also herbal medicines," he said.
He said the best price for agarwood is between IDR 20 million (around US$1,363) and IDR 400 million (around US$27,259) per kilogram.
He said natural agarwood from Papua is one of the best because it grows in mud, while most natural agarwood grows in plantations and forests.
Meanwhile, the price of agarwood from plantation development or cultivation is around IDR 45 million (around US$3,066) to IDR 75 million (around US$5,111) per kilogram.
"The aroma of this wood is the same. But agarwood that grows naturally is more expensive, and the most expensive one is from Papua, Kalimantan, and others," he said.
"Agarwood from cultivation also smells good, but the price is only tens of millions per kg," he said further.
He said that there are not enough special farmers who focus on processing agarwood.
Therefore, he encouraged the development of agarwood cultivation.
The SPPGI Association is also ready to provide assistance regarding how to plant and care for the wood, he noted.
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Translator: Muh. Hasanuddin, Katriana
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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