Vishu Kumar, carried a machete and severed a few branches of sandalwood trees planted near the legislative building. This trend has coincided with signs of a collapse in commercial sandalwood cultivation in Australia, as recorded by the central committee. Arun Kumar, a scientist at ICFRE-IWST, explained that sandalwood oil serves as an ideal base for perfumes. Rangaswamy removed Hebbevu, which was planted as a host plant, as it grew taller than the sandalwood trees. Beyond this, sandalwood farmers and aspirants seek have sought special insurance for trees, research-backed training, and the development of mixed cropping systems with sandalwood.

Source: The Hindu February 20, 2026 11:09 UTC