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Our founder, Roger Hargreaves, met a passionate local agarwood grower who also happened to be a qualified English teacher. He introduced Roger to the extraordinary properties of Aquilaria crassna, explaining how this native Southeast Asian tree could produce one of the world's most valuable aromatic materials: agarwood, also known as oud.

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At the time, Roger was already looking for a more meaningful approach to investment.

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Having worked as a qualified independent financial adviser in the UK, he had become disillusioned with conventional investment products, particularly the management charges that could steadily erode investors' returns.

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The possibility of investing in living, productive trees captured his imagination.

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What began as curiosity soon developed into a fascination with sustainable forestry, Laos agarwood and the remarkable natural processes that produce precious oud.

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From Thailand's Agarwood Industry to Laos

Roger subsequently entered the agarwood industry in Thailand as an Operations Director.

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His responsibilities included purchasing mature standing agarwood plantations, alongside acquiring land for the establishment of new agarwood agroforestry plantations.

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He also helped establish an oud oil distillery in the mountainous Khao Yai region of Thailand, where Aquilaria crassna grows naturally, and managed the distillery for a period.

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Roger was later promoted to Company Chairman.

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This experience provided valuable insights into plantation management, resin induction, traditional oud oil production and the commercial potential of mature agarwood trees.

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In Thailand, the plantation model generally involved younger trees, typically inoculated at six or seven years of age.

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But Laos presented a different opportunity.

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The Founding of Agarwood International™ in 2019

Agarwood International™ was established in 2019 to identify and acquire mature standing agarwood plantations suitable for immediate inoculation, working on behalf of a Luxembourg investment fund with interests in agarwood forestry and agriculture.

The opportunity was particularly compelling because Laos already possessed extensive plantations established during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.

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Many of these trees were now mature, yet their owners had not necessarily received the commercial returns they originally anticipated.

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The mission was to identify existing mature plantations, introduce effective resin induction where appropriate and work towards producing valuable finished oud products within a further three to four years.

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Our first marketing platform was remarkably modest: a single Facebook page.

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Using primarily Lao language content, including paid Facebook advertisements, we invited owners of established agarwood plantations and mature standing timber to contact us.

What followed was an extraordinary journey.

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Two Years Exploring Laos' Agarwood Plantations

Over approximately two years, Roger travelled extensively through Laos, personally inspecting plantations, meeting farmers, examining mature trees and visiting traditional oud distilleries.

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His journeys took him through important agarwood growing areas, including Luang Prabang, Bolikhamxay Province, Mueang Feuang and the Vang Vieng region.

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The work involved long journeys, rural roads, plantation visits and countless conversations with local growers.

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It also provided something no textbook could offer: first hand knowledge of the people, landscapes and forestry practices behind Laos agarwood.

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By the end of his research, Roger joked that he knew practically every agarwood tree in Laos personally.

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By name, age and size!

Well, almost.

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Discovering an Opportunity for Lao Farmers

Those plantation visits revealed an important problem.

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Many farmers had successfully cultivated Aquilaria crassna over several decades but lacked the technical knowledge or reliable inoculation expertise necessary to develop commercially valuable resin within the trees' heartwood.

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Some trees had developed naturally formed oud without deliberate intervention.

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Roger's field observations suggested that naturally occurring resin formation could be particularly favourable in certain Lao growing regions, with estimates around 10% in some areas.

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For the remaining trees, successful inoculation offered another potential route towards commercial production.

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Unfortunately, some farmers had already spent money on ineffective inoculants or contractors without achieving worthwhile results.

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A valuable forestry resource was standing on their land, but the knowledge needed to realise its potential was often missing.

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This experience helped shape a broader mission for Agarwood International™: combining commercial opportunity with practical farmer education.

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Supporting Farmers and Sustainable Production

Our approach includes voluntary training to help farmers better understand agarwood cultivation, resin formation and available production methods.

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We believe growers should understand their options before committing money to inoculation or harvesting.

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Some farmers wish to begin developing commercial oud production from existing mature trees.

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Others prefer to allow their trees to continue growing, particularly when immediate income is not essential.

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Our organic inoculation initiative includes a 100% money back guarantee, reflecting our commitment to giving farmers confidence in the services offered.

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The aim is straightforward: helping farmers make informed decisions about the valuable trees they already own.

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Reforestation — Two Trees for Every Tree Harvested

The long term future of Laos agarwood depends on keeping its trees growing.

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Our reforestation policy is to plant two replacement trees for every tree harvested, on the plantation from which the original tree was sourced.

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Why two?

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Because young trees face natural mortality, competition and the possibility of thinning as plantations mature.

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By planting two replacements, we aim to maintain at least one healthy successor for every harvested tree while supporting continued forestry production.

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We also support the return of native Aquilaria crassna to suitable natural forest environments through the donation of saplings for restoration initiatives involving Lao forestry authorities.

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These include forest areas historically affected by illegal logging, where protection efforts seek to preserve native trees and wildlife.

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Our ambition is to contribute to the continued survival of Aquilaria crassna in both sustainably managed plantations and its natural forest habitat.

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From Laos to the World

Today, Agarwood International™ connects traditional Lao producers with international buyers seeking authentic Laos agarwood chips, naturally developed oud and traditional Lao oud oil.

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Our Three Kings range represents one part of that story, drawing upon mature Aquilaria crassna trees that are 36 years old, together with traditional processing methods and generations of local knowledge.

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From aromatic agarwood chips to precious oud oil, every product has a story that begins with the tree itself.

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And the opportunities extend beyond commerce.

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Oud holds a treasured place in Arabian Gulf hospitality and fragrance traditions, while agarwood incense remains important within cultural and Buddhist traditions across East Asia.

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These connections between nature, craftsmanship and heritage are central to our vision.

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When Agarwood International™ was founded in 2019, Roger's mission was to recognise the potential of Laos' mature agarwood plantations and connect that resource with international markets.

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The work grew from a two year forestry acquisition and research assignment into a much broader appreciation of the people, trees and traditions behind the industry.

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Today, that original purpose continues to guide Agarwood International:

To share the extraordinary heritage of Laos agarwood with the world while supporting the farmers, traditional producers and sustainable forestry practices behind it.

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And yes, there are still a few agarwood trees in Laos we'd love to meet!

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Discover Agarwood International™

Explore our Three Kings Laos agarwood chips, traditional oud oil and growing selection of specialist products.

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Whether you're searching for Laos agarwood, Laos oud, naturally developed oud or wholesale agarwood chips, we welcome your inquiry.

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Reach out to the Agarwood International team in Laos.

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WhatsApp us now: +856 205 9999 6666