This report examines the extent of local gaharu trade and how it contributes to the household economy of the harvesters.
At the local level, the first level of trading of gaharu is done in the forest, in the village, at the jetty, in weekly market and in the nearby town. In some cases, the traders provide advances (food, cigarettes, petrol, cash) to the harvesters who are obliged to sell the gaharu wood to the traders. The local gaharu trade is generally on the decline over the years. In Kedah, Perak and Pahang, the number of traders fell from 51 in 1997 to 29 in 2008.
For more information, please contact
Ho Yuen Foon
Forest Research Institute Malaysia
(email contact from link above)
