1. India has successfully prevented the inclusion of agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis) in the Review of Significant Trade (RST) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
2. CITES has notified a new export quota of agarwood resinous wood and oil from India starting April 2024.
3. Agarwood cultivation in northeastern states, benefiting lakhs of farmers in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura.
4. Aquilaria malaccensis is listed in Appendix II of CITES to control its trade.
5. Removal from RST achieved based on a non-detriment findings (NDFs) study by the Botanical Survey of India and the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
6. NDF recommends harvesting from home, community gardens, and plantations but restricts it from wild populations and protected areas.
7. Export quota for 2024–2027 set at 1,51,080 kg/year for agarwood chips and powder, and 7,050 kg/year for agarwood oil.
8. Absence of export quota and trade restrictions in the past led to an increase in informal trade to the Middle East and other countries.
9. Illegal trade of agarwood continued despite the export ban, with significant seizures reported between 2017 and 2021.
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