What Resin Is NOT
- Not sap (the clear or milky liquid that flows naturally in trees)
- Not tree juice
- Not something that flows all the time
- Not produced by healthy, unstressed wood
Sap moves food and water.
Resin is made only when the tree is under stress or attack.
What Resin REALLY Is
Resin is a protective medicine made by the tree.
When an agarwood tree is:
- wounded
- infected by fungi
- attacked by insects
- stressed by the environment
…it produces a dark, aromatic substance to:
- block the wound
- trap or kill microbes
- protect the inner wood
That substance is resin.
Simple Comparison (Farmer-Friendly)
| Feature | Sap | Resin |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Feeds the tree | Protects the tree |
| Always present? | Yes | No |
| Color | Clear / milky | Brown to black |
| Smell | Weak or none | Strong fragrance |
| Forms when | Tree is healthy | Tree is stressed |
| Value | Low | Very high |
In Agarwood Trees
- Resin forms inside the wood, not on the surface
- It slowly darkens and hardens over time
- The darker and heavier the wood, the more resin inside
No stress = no resin
Controlled stress = valuable agarwood
Farmer Key Message
“We do not collect sap.
We help the tree make medicine (resin).”