Benzoin: How the Resin Is Harvested and Graded before Reaching Industry
Benzoin is a high-value forest product from North Sumatra. Here is how the resin is harvested and sorted into the grades industry needs.
Benzoin comes from the resin of Styrax trees growing in the highland forests of North Sumatra. Indonesia is one of the world's leading benzoin suppliers, with demand from perfume, pharmaceutical, and incense makers.
How the resin is harvested
Farmers make small cuts in the bark of mature trees. Resin slowly seeps from the cuts and hardens on the trunk. A few months later, the hardened resin is scraped off and taken to be dried and sorted. One tree can be tapped repeatedly for years if the cuts are well maintained.
Graded by the lump
The dried resin is sorted by lump size and colour. Large, clean, light-coloured lumps fetch the highest prices, while small chips and resin mixed with bark fall into lower grades. At PasarToba we simplify this into grades A to D so they are easy to specify in a quotation.
What is it used for?
- Perfume and cosmetics, as a fixative that makes fragrances last longer.
- Incense and aromatherapy, at home and abroad.
- Pharmaceuticals, as a raw material for tinctures and topical remedies.
For buyers
Benzoin does not spoil quickly, which makes it well suited to regular orders under a supply contract. State the grade, form (lumps or powder), and monthly volume when you submit a PO. Minimum order 100 kg.