Agar (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) based small-scale enterprises in Bangladesh: Management, production, marketing and role in socio-economic development
Agarwood (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) is one of the most expensive woods in the world. Agar-based enterprises are increasing due to the high demand for agar products worldwide including Bangladesh. Information on the socio-economic condition, silvicultural operation, extraction, processing, marketing...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Trees, Forests and People |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719321000807 |
| _version_ | 1819043033886228480 |
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| author | Md. Ahosan Habib Ador Farid Farabi Romel Ahmed Rahela Khatun Mohammed Masum Ul Haque |
| author_facet | Md. Ahosan Habib Ador Farid Farabi Romel Ahmed Rahela Khatun Mohammed Masum Ul Haque |
| author_sort | Md. Ahosan Habib Ador |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Agarwood (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) is one of the most expensive woods in the world. Agar-based enterprises are increasing due to the high demand for agar products worldwide including Bangladesh. Information on the socio-economic condition, silvicultural operation, extraction, processing, marketing and potential barriers are crucial for the formulation of a proper management plan. Therefore, the study was conducted in the Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh using a semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion to explore the aforesaid issues and provide subsequent recommendations for this sector. A total of 120 respondents (an equal number of agar nursery owners, growers, buyers and enterprise owners) were selected randomly based on the preliminary surveys. The growers and enterprise owners were mostly literate (77%) and had nurseries for raising seedlings. About 55% of the respondents were found to have private plantations while the reaming growers possessed homestead agar plantations mixed with other plant species. The majority of the enterprises were small in size (65%) and only 10% possessed large enterprises (more than 8 pans). The practice of nursery management, silvicultural operation, and agar induction and extraction process was found conventional based on their indigenous knowledge. The study revealed that the nursery owners, tree sellers, enterprise owners and enterprise workers earned substantial income per month that ranged from US$<179 to >535, US$<119 to >476, US$119 to >595 and US$71 to 143 respectively indicating the potential role of agar-based enterprises in the socio-economic development of the study area. Such profitable agar-based enterprises are expected to flourish more, if financial and modern technical support, supply of high-quality seedlings together with raw materials and contemporary marketing facilities are adequately provided. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T09:50:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-904d60e4bbc247989e3e05b5c02b762a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-7193 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T09:50:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Trees, Forests and People |
| spelling | doaj.art-904d60e4bbc247989e3e05b5c02b762a2022-12-21T19:08:12ZengElsevierTrees, Forests and People2666-71932021-12-016100141Agar (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) based small-scale enterprises in Bangladesh: Management, production, marketing and role in socio-economic developmentMd. Ahosan Habib Ador0Farid Farabi1Romel Ahmed2Rahela Khatun3Mohammed Masum Ul Haque4Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, BangladeshDepartment of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, BangladeshDepartment of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, BangladeshDepartment of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, BangladeshCorresponding author.; Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, BangladeshAgarwood (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) is one of the most expensive woods in the world. Agar-based enterprises are increasing due to the high demand for agar products worldwide including Bangladesh. Information on the socio-economic condition, silvicultural operation, extraction, processing, marketing and potential barriers are crucial for the formulation of a proper management plan. Therefore, the study was conducted in the Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh using a semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion to explore the aforesaid issues and provide subsequent recommendations for this sector. A total of 120 respondents (an equal number of agar nursery owners, growers, buyers and enterprise owners) were selected randomly based on the preliminary surveys. The growers and enterprise owners were mostly literate (77%) and had nurseries for raising seedlings. About 55% of the respondents were found to have private plantations while the reaming growers possessed homestead agar plantations mixed with other plant species. The majority of the enterprises were small in size (65%) and only 10% possessed large enterprises (more than 8 pans). The practice of nursery management, silvicultural operation, and agar induction and extraction process was found conventional based on their indigenous knowledge. The study revealed that the nursery owners, tree sellers, enterprise owners and enterprise workers earned substantial income per month that ranged from US$<179 to >535, US$<119 to >476, US$119 to >595 and US$71 to 143 respectively indicating the potential role of agar-based enterprises in the socio-economic development of the study area. Such profitable agar-based enterprises are expected to flourish more, if financial and modern technical support, supply of high-quality seedlings together with raw materials and contemporary marketing facilities are adequately provided.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719321000807AgarwoodAgar plantationWoundingMarketing channel |
| spellingShingle | Md. Ahosan Habib Ador Farid Farabi Romel Ahmed Rahela Khatun Mohammed Masum Ul Haque Agar (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) based small-scale enterprises in Bangladesh: Management, production, marketing and role in socio-economic development Trees, Forests and People Agarwood Agar plantation Wounding Marketing channel |
| title | Agar (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) based small-scale enterprises in Bangladesh: Management, production, marketing and role in socio-economic development |
| title_full | Agar (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) based small-scale enterprises in Bangladesh: Management, production, marketing and role in socio-economic development |
| title_fullStr | Agar (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) based small-scale enterprises in Bangladesh: Management, production, marketing and role in socio-economic development |
| title_full_unstemmed | Agar (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) based small-scale enterprises in Bangladesh: Management, production, marketing and role in socio-economic development |
| title_short | Agar (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) based small-scale enterprises in Bangladesh: Management, production, marketing and role in socio-economic development |
| title_sort | agar aquilaria agallocha roxb based small scale enterprises in bangladesh management production marketing and role in socio economic development |
| topic | Agarwood Agar plantation Wounding Marketing channel |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719321000807 |
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