Patchouli produces essential oil needed to bind the fragrance to perfume and cannot yet be replicated in synthetic form. The quality of Indonesian patchouli oil is known to be the best in the world and fulfill 90 percent of the global market share.
Bank Indonesia stated that the world’s demand for patchouli oil ranges from 1,100 to 1,200 tons per year with an annual supply of approximately 900 tons. By looking at the difference between demand and supply per year, there is still a market opportunity of 200 tons per year approximately (www.kemenperin.go.id in the 2nd National Seminar on Applied Science and Technology (SENIT) 2017 and www.bi.go.id).
The main patchouli oil-producing areas in Indonesia are Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Jambi, South Sumatra, Lampung, West Java, Central Java, D.I. Yogyakarta, East Java, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, East Kalimantan, Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, and West Sulawesi. The best quality patchouli oil in the world comes from Aceh Province with one of its superior qualities, the Tapaktuan variety. However, the highest amount of patchouli oil is still obtained from the Sulawesi region.
The demand for patchouli oil in recent times has created an opportunity for most farmers in some districts in Central Sulawesi Province to start to pursue cultivating crops that could be harvested when the plants are three or four months old.
The PENTA Foundation, in collaboration with PT General Aromatic as representative of Payan Bertrand, has conducted webinar about patchouli on Saturday, 13 February 2021 and attended by 100 people from around Central Sulawesi,Jakarta and North Sulawesi.