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 <center>'''COPALASAFOETIDA and GALBANUM'''</center>ASAFOETIDA and GALBANUM == DESCRIPTION AND USES===== Asafoetida===Asafoetida is the oleoresin exudate obtained from certain ''Ferula '' species, particularly F.''Ferula asafoetida'', which occur in Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and surrounding areas. The productis one of the few examples (another one is tragacanth gum) of an exudate which is obtainedby "tapping" the roots of a shrubby plant. Asafoetida has a strong, characteristic odour (due to the presence of sulphur compounds) andextracts of "asafoetida hing" - derived from three main species (see below) - are used inspice blends and as a flavouring for meat sauces, pickles, currys and other food products.Since it is so strong in taste and odour, asafoetida is often blended with diluents such asstarch and flour and sold in a compounded form. An essential oil can be distilled from the oleoresin and finds minor use for flavouringpurposes. "Asafoetida hingra" - from two other ''Ferula '' species - are used in pharmaceutical

 === Galbanum===Galbanum is another oleoresin exudate produced from a ''Ferula '' species: F. ''Ferula galbaniflua''. Itis obtained from the cut stem. Extracts of the oleoresin and the distilled essential oil containa number of sulphurous compounds and they are used to a limited extent as perfume fixatives. == WORLD SUPPLY AND DEMAND TRENDS===== Markets===Export data from the producing countries are not readily available and imports into, say, theEuropean Community or Japan are not identifiable since they are not listed separately forasafoetida and galbanum. It is therefore extremely difficult to estimate international demand. India is a large importer of asafoetida and imports for the years 1987/88-92/93 are shownin Table 28. Except for 1990/91, when 1 000 tonnes were imported, levels of imports havebeen around 500-700 tormes/year. Although India is a net importer of asafoetida it also exports significant amounts; theseexports are believed to be largely re-exports of imported material rather than originating fromindigenous production. Exports for the period 1987/88-93/94, and their destinations, aregiven in Table 29. Middle East countries are seen to be an important destination and theUnited Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait are all consistentimporters; the United Arab Emirates averaged almost 50-tonnes annually.

=== Supply sources===Table 28 shows that Afghanistan was by far the largest supplier of asafoetida to India,averaging 525 tonnes annually outside the peak year 1990/91, when 950 tonnes wereexported. Exports from both Iran and Pakistan, the only other sources of Indian imports,increased sharply in 1992/93 to about 160 tonnes and 120 tonnes respectively (compared toannual averages of about 30 tonnes and 20 tonnes, respectively, for previous years). 

 === Quality and prices======= Asafoetida====Tears are the purest form of the resin and these are grey or dull yellow in colour, althoughthey sometimes darken to a reddish brown colour on storage. The more common form is where tears have agglomerated into a solid mass, usually withfragments of root, sand and other extraneous matter present. Commercial samples are oftenin the form of a paste and may be very variable in quality, sometimes containing added"inert" diluents. The chief constituents of asafoetida are "resin" (40-65%), "gum" (ca 25%) and essential oil;reasonably fresh asafoetida usually contains around 7-9% of essential oil, although it varieswith origin and may be as high as 20%.

 ==== Galbanum====Galbanum of commerce is usually in the foul' form of agglutinated tears, about the size of peasand orange-brown on the outside, yellowish white or blue-green inside. Like asafoetida, itis often mixed with extraneous matter and can be very variable in quality. 

 == PLANT SOURCES===== Botanical/common names===

*''[[Ferula asafoetida ]]'' L.- Asafoetida hingF. *''[[Ferula alliacea ]]'' Boiss. 1 - Asafoetida hingF. *''[[Ferula narthex ]]'' Boiss.- Asafoetida hingF. *''[[Ferula foetida Regel ] ]'' Regel - Asafoetida hingraF. *''[[Ferula rubricaulis ]]'' Boiss.- Asafoetida hingraF. *''[[Ferula galbaniflua ]]'' Boiss. & Buhse - Galbanum

=== Description and distribution===Of the asafoetida-yielding ''Ferula '' species, the most important is F. ''Ferula asafoetida''. The plantsgrow to a height of 1.5-3 m and the shrubby foliage grows annually from a perennialrootstock. The species are indigenous to parts of Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and northwestIndia, where they are found on the arid plains and high plateaus. They also grow in someparts of North Africa.F. ''Ferula galbaniflua '' occurs in Iran and northwest India. == COLLECTION/PRIMARY PROCESSING==