Bengaluru: KSDL collaborates with 670 farmers to grow sandalwood trees for its oil

To address the shortfall in sandalwood oil crucial for its flagship product, the "Mysore Sandal" soap, the State-run Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd. (KSDL) has initiated a strategic collaboration.

KSDL’s collaboration with 670 farmers across 3,586 acres, primarily in arid zones of north Karnataka such as Dharwad, Haveri, and Gadag aligns with the 'grow more sandalwood' policy, aimed at curbing the company's reliance on oil imports.

Following a "share and prosper" approach, KSDL will provide sandalwood saplings to participating farmers to grow them into trees. In recent months, the company has already planted 2,800 saplings in Bengaluru and Mysuru divisions. Typically, the extraction process yields four to five kilograms of oil from every 100 kilograms of wood, predominantly sourced from the root stem and branches.

Underlining the economic prospects for farmers, mature trees in dry regions, aged 20 to 25 years, have the potential to generate earnings ranging from ₹30,000 to ₹50,000 per tree.

The market value for sandalwood is approximately ₹6,000 per kilogram. To mitigate issues encountered in the previous year, where KSDL purchased 94 tonnes of substandard wood due to premature tree cutting by apprehensive farmers, this collaborative effort seeks to ensure better wood quality for sustained production.

Additionally, KSDL has invested ₹1.25 crore in a single root from Kerala, emphasizing the company's commitment to enhancing the quality and quantity of sandalwood resources.