Agar wood from Bhutan is said to be among the best in the world selling at more than $10,000 per kilo but there are very few Aquilaria trees left and naturally occurring agarwood from forests is scarce.

Agar wood is still found in Bhutan’s forests, though now considerably less abundant despite the Forest Department’s vigilance, many trees have fallen to the poacher’s axe.

Agar is not presently being exploited commercially, however, a few trial plantations were established in Panbang and Samdrup Jongkha in the 1980’s. These trial plantations have been successful in terms of growth, but efforts to inoculate the trees with infected branches have not been encouraging.

True agar has a peculiar yet agreeable odour, comparable to sandalwood. It is highly prized and in great demand in some countries for burning as incense.