KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia /PRNewswire/ --
At its new, purpose-built distillery and factory
in Johor, Malaysia, Asia Plantation Capital recently hosted
plantation clients, along with asset and wealth managers
fromFrance, Germany and Switzerland. Opened in February 2015, the facility is due to be fully
operational later this year, and will be the largest distillery and
processing plant in Southeast Asia for the much sought after agarwood
and its associated products.
Demand
for agarwood has been growing across the globe in recent years,
whether in the form of aromatic oil (Oud), fragrant woodchips, or
wood sculptures, and is now the most expensive forestry product (on
a per kilogramme basis) in the market today. Significant illegal
logging has taken place in the past to meet this ever-increasing
demand, resulting in the severe depletion of the Aquilaria tree
(the source of agarwood), to the point of near extinction.
Asia
Plantation Capital is fully committed to ensuring the
sustainability of the species, and this commitment has focused the
company's attention on the critical aspects of the cultivation and
harvesting of the trees. Asia Plantation Capital has designed and
established a number of programmes with sustainability and
environmental awareness in mind, including CITES compliance
(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora), whereby all agarwood products that are shipped
internationally are tracked to ensure that they are legally
sourced. Other notable programmes include extensive research and
development to maximise the yield of the tree so that no part of
the harvest is wasted, as well as a commitment to replace every
Aquilaria tree that is harvested with at least one other tree
(usually more), to ensure the survival of the species. Asia
Plantation Capital has played a vital role in the reintroduction of
the species to various parts of Asia where the tree stocks were depleted, such
as Hong Kong and Sri
Lanka.
"The
tour with Asia Plantation Capital to the plantations, offices and
boutiques was very informative," said Ms Weiss, a client
from Germany. "For me, showing the process from planting trees
to distilling the oil and experiencing the perfume made from the
oil was impressive, and I realised instantly that the aroma of the
wood and the oil is remarkable."
The
visitors were full of praise for what they saw and experienced,
many coming away with a more in-depth understanding of the
processes required and the efforts undertaken by Asia Plantation
Capital to deliver a sustainable product of the highest
quality.
"My
tour of Asia Plantation Capital's operations from Northern
to Eastern Thailand, to Johor and the Singaporehead office, along with the outstanding
Fragrance Du Bois boutique at the Fullerton hotel, was very
agreeable," said Dr Daniel Delevaux MD, the Republic
of Madagascar's Honorary Consul
to Thailand since 1996. "It was a fruitful trip, and
certainly enhanced my knowledge of Agarwood and Oud. I would like
to thank Asia Plantation Capital's very professional team for being
so nice, and organising everything so perfectly."
"At
Asia Plantation Capital we are committed not only to producing
agroforestry products of the highest natural quality," said
Mr Steve Watts, CEO Asia Pacific, Asia Plantation Capital.
"We also ensure sustainability in these crops, and we work hard to
promote environmental awareness. It's important for us to know that
everything we do works to the benefit of society as a whole. We are
delighted to host visitors at our facilities
across Asia, and take great pride in helping to educate
interested parties about the extraordinary virtues of the Aquilaria
tree that gives us agarwood. The whole process," he concluded, "is
to spread the message that sustainability is critical for the
future of our world."
The
factory and distillery in Johor, Malaysia, is part of a US$50 million investment by Asia Plantation Capital
to expand operations in the country over the next few years. The
company is in the process of acquiring plantations, through both
acquisitions and partnerships, to increase its footprint in
Malaysia. Also in the pipeline is the establishment of an
Aquilaria nursery and research centre in Southern Malaysia, in conjunction with several leading
agarwood academics, along with the company's own scientific
research board.
For
further information, please contact:
Adrian Heng
Group Communications Director
Email: [email protected]
Office: +65 6222 3386
Mobile: +65 9750 7440
About Asia Plantation Capital
Quick facts:
Asia
Plantation Capital is the owner and operator of a diverse range of
commercial plantation and farming businesses across
the Asia-Pacific region and around the world, and is
part of the Asia Plantation Capital Group of associated companies.
Its focus is on multicultural and diverse plantation projects
geared to the domestic and commercial demands of the countries in
which it operates. Working closely with, and supporting local
communities, is an underlying core principle of the Asia Plantation
Capital business, providing social and cultural support, as well as
investment, to move these communities away from deforestation and
illegal logging activities, previously seen as a main source of
income in some regions of Asia. Established officially in 2008 (although operating
privately since 2002) the group now has plantation and agricultural
projects on four continents, with operational projects at various
stages in Thailand, Malaysia, China, Laos, India, Cambodia, Sri
Lanka, Myanmar,Vietnam, North America and Europe.
Promoting the use of sustainable and certified wood is the best way
of preventing deforestation, protecting biodiversity, and
combatting poverty in the tropical rainforest regions. For the
yachting sector (a major user of teak) which strives for excellence
and which is already involved in environmental efforts, this is
also a way of ensuring that no wood from illegal logging is
used.
About Fragrance Du
Bois
Fragrance Du
Bois is a niche luxury perfume house working closely
with sustainable plantations in Asia, bringing exciting new 100% organic Oud oil based
fragrances to exclusive markets worldwide. Sustainably sourcing the
finest raw materials across the globe, working with French
perfumers to create a full range of products, and also providing
bespoke fragrance services, Fragrance Du Bois is personal luxury
with a conscience. With exclusive fragrance lounges around the
world, in Dubai, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, Fragrance Du Bois creates only the finest
experience in bespoke perfumery.
Fragrance Du
Bois is known as Parfums Du Bois in France and in non-French speaking markets, as
Fragrance Du Bois.
Photo
- http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150807/8521505181-a
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150807/8521505181-b
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150807/8521505181-c