Opportunities for the smallholder sandalwood industry in ... - ACIAR

plantations is expected to rise substantially from 2019
when harvesting begins (Figure 4). In addition, the
oil quality of heartwood derived from future plantations
is likely to improve as trees with elevated levels
of santalol have been identified (Hettiarachchi and
Coakley 2009) and improvement programs using
material derived from these trees are currently being
conducted in Western Australia.
Pacific sandalwoods (Santalum spp.)
Pacific sandalwood species of commercial value
include S. austrocaledonicum (Vanuatu and New
Caledonia), S. macgregorii (listed on the IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species as endangered; Papua
New Guinea), S. insulare (French Polynesia and
Cook Islands) and S. yasi (Fiji and Tonga) in the
South Pacific; and S. ellipticum, S. freycinetianum,
S. haleakalae and S. paniculatum from Hawaii in
the northern Pacific. Species such as S. yasi and
some populations of S. austrocaledonicum produce
high-quality sandalwood products, reputedly similar
in quality to S. album from India and Indonesia
(Thomson 2008).
Many sandalwood species in the Pacific region are
approaching commercial exhaustion in their native
habitats. However, on a more positive note, both
small and larger scale sandalwood plantations are
being established in parts of the Pacific region, which
will increasingly substitute the dwindling supplies
from native forests (Gillieson et al. 2008; Thomson
2008). In French Polynesia, the area of sandalwood
plantings established in recent years approaches
several hectares (Butaud and Defranoux 2007).
African sandalwood (Osyris lanceolata)
Osyris lanceolata, a related species in the same
family, is a multistemmed African tree that produces
a heartwood oil with similar fragrant properties to
Santalum species. African sandalwood is harvested
from natural populations of O. lanceolata in Chad,
Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
Increased use of this species began in the early 1990s
following a decline in the global sandalwood supply
(Mwang’ingo et al. 2004), but the exploitative
harvesting of this species in some regions resulted
in a decline in the resource and disappearance of
the species in some areas (Mwang’ingo et al. 2003).
Much of the wood is sold on the international market
and subsequently mixed with and sold as Indian
sandalwood. While there is considerable variation in
santalol content between populations of O. lanceolata
(Mwang’ingo et al. 2003), the average santalol
content is typically much lower than that of S. album.
The adulteration of Indian sandalwood products with
16,000
14,000
Total plantation area (hectares)
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Year
Figure 3.
Total plantation area of Australian sandalwood (S. spicatum) in Australia, 1999–2012 (Source: industry
estimates)
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