Major investment in incense tree farms in Hong Kong to cope with growing demand



Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, Feb 1, 2013 1. Wide Victoria Harbour 2. Wide Victoria Harbour Wong Tai Sin Temple, Hong Kong, Feb 1, 2013 3. Mid incense 4. Close incense Wing Lee Sandalwood, Mongkok, Hong Kong Feb 4, 2013 5. Wide Wing Lee Sandalwood 6. Close Agarwood sticks 7. SOUNDBITE: (Cantonese) Joey Yuen, Manager, Wing Lee Sandalwood "Agarwood is formed when the tree is hurt, for example it gets attacked by insects, lightning or it gets infected with bacteria. The tree will produce some substance to heal the wound, some oil will then appear in the wound, and that is the agarwood." 8. Mid Yuen making incense 9. Mid Yuen making incense 10. Mid Agarwood prices 11. Mid Yuen working 12. SOUNDBITE: (Cantonese) Joey Yuen, Manager, Wing Lee Sandalwood "As agarwood became popular, a lot of people in Mainland China would come over and log the trees and sell them. However, the price is only a few hundred dollars per catty (600 grammes) . We do not think it is the best quality agarwood." 13. Wide Yuen lighting Agarwood 14. Close Yuen lighting Agarwood Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Feb 21, 2013 15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Professor Chi Yung Jim, Chair Professor of Geography, University of Hong Kong "Only about 10% of the trees can have this fungal invasion, therefore development of the highly priced agarwood. So when this so called agarwood hunter goes into the forest, they would indiscriminately chop the trees." Wong Tai Sin Temple, Hong Kong, Feb 1, 2013 16. Close incense burning 17. Close incense burning 18. Close incense burning Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Feb 21, 2013 18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Professor Chi Yung Jim, Chair Professor of Geography, University of Hong Kong "So with such a surge in demand while the supply is declining all the time, it is natural to see the price going up and up all the time. That is why you now have a lot of people investing into incense tree farms because they see an opportunity for making a quick profit." Shun Lam Agarwood Farm, Fanling, Hong Kong, Feb 6, 2013 19. Wide sky 20. Mid calendar 21. Wide farm 22. Wide farmer 23. SOUNDBITE: (Cantonese) Koon Wing Chan, Owner, Shun Lam Agarwood Farm "When I was little, I had to go up to the mountains to plant, cut and log the trees." 24. Close Chan working 25. Wide farm 26. Mid/tilt agarwood showing dark and light wood 27. Close agarwood 28. SOUNDBITE: (Cantonese) Koon Wing Chan, Owner, Shun Lam Agarwood Farm "It's like planting a normal tree, when it gets to eight years you have to hurt the tree to force it to produce oil, then you have to wait another five years for the oil to become a good quality, and it can be harvested." 29. Wide/tilt farm 30. Wide farmer eating 31. SOUNDBITE: (Cantonese) Koon Wing Chan, Owner, Shun Lam Agarwood Farm "The incense trees on the mountains have almost all been logged, people have logged all the big ones or they have hurt the trees in order to come back and get the agarwood in a few years. When they chop the tree near its root, it will die." 32. Wide farm 33. Wide Chan walking away LEAD IN : A boom in demand for incense has encouraged some farmers near Hong Kong to plant the trees in the hope that one day they may be rewarded with valuable Agarwood. But it is an occupation only for the patient as the trees take thirteen years to produce wood suitable for incense. STORYLINE: Incense is popular across much of Asia and its burned in private homes and temples. The unique aroma is created when a fungus infects aqularia trees, resulting in a darkening of the wood, which is called agarwood. Agarwood is rare and expensive because only ten percent of the naturally growing incense trees are attacked by the correct kind of fungus and it can take 20 years for the agarwood to develop. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/1c6d3cd85bfb35f0de13d0989bc7f765 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

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