WELCOME TO Roshan AgRO aSIA AGARWOOD PLANTATIONS PROJECT.

The olive (Olea europaea) is actually a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, which is found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as Olea europaea ‘Montra‘, dwarf olive, or little olive.

Commercial olive farming is done and very popular in all the countries of the Mediterranean, and also in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and in both North and South America.

Olive (olive fruit) is a very important agricultural crop in the Mediterranean region as the source of olive oil. And olive oil is one of the core ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine. The tree and its fruit give their name to the plant family, which also includes species such as lilac, jasmine, forsythia, and the true ash tree.[1]

Currently there are numerous cultivars of the olive tree available throughout the world. And these cultivars may be used mainly for oil production, eating or for both.

The olive cultivated for direct consumption purpose are generally referred to as ‘table olives’. About only 10% of the harvested olives are used as table olives, while about 90% are turned into oil.

Olives are actually one of the most extensively cultivated fruit crops in the world. And most of these commercial operation is done mainly for olive oil production purpose.

It is one of the most desirable and expensive perfume ingredients in the world, giving it the nickname "liquid gold”

Agarwood is an extremely valuable resinous heartwood extracted from the stems of Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees which are mostly native to Southeast Asia. The procedure involves a physical contamination of a wounded part of the tree where a certain fungi will attack the cells of the stem which will lead to the production of harvest. Agarwood is formed as an antibody to fight against the fungi and this is a unique characteristic of Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees.

Agarwood formation can result both through natural and human-induced ways. While the natural formation has almost become extinct, mankind has found an alternative method that involves fungi inoculation. By injecting the fungi to the tree trunk Agarwood can be formed and the quality of the Agarwood heavily depends on the quality of the inoculation. However, it is common knowledge that no inoculation method can reach the quality of naturally formed Agarwood also known as wild Oud. The natural formation can happen when the tree is struck by lightning or damaged by animal scraping, triggering the antibody inside the stem of the tree.

Gyrinops Walla locally known as “Wallapatta” is a unique species of Agarwood that is indigenous to Sri Lanka. It is stated that travelers such as Ibn Batuta took this species of Agarwood to the Arabian Oud market centuries ago.

  Essential oils of sandalwood have antispasmodic (relieve spasm of muscles), antibacterial (kill bacteria) and antiviral (kill viruses) properties. Sandalwood is used in the treatment of inflammation, skin disorders, rashes, cough, fever, flu, hypertension and restlessness. Essential oils are used to improve the functioning of liver, heart and stomach and to strengthen the gums of teeth and muscles. The fragrant oil from the wood is one of the choicest perfumery material in the world and is recently reported to be highly effective in the treatment of breast cancer too. 

 Sandalwood was once considered as the primary source of Mysore state economy where the entire budget was planned based on sandalwood.  Seeds of sandalwood also yield an invaluable oil which although does not contain any fragrant components but is bestowed with a unique compound named “XYMNEMIC ACID” which has an immense anti-oxidant property which is being utilised in cosmetic industry world over. Tender leaves of sandalwood are rich in polyphenols which have potential anti-hypertensive propertie . Historically, Sandalwood was declared as a “ROYAL TREE” by Tipu Sultan in 18th Century and since then it was treated as a state property irrespective of where it was growing. This lead to immense pressure on the natural populations of Sandalwood in Karnataka, illegal felling by infamous Veerappan between 70s to late 90s further led to the decline of sandalwood. It was not until 2001 when the Government of Karnataka relaxed rules for sandalwood cultivation, the farmers took interest and since then plantations in small scale have started coming up.