In late November 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic still gripped much of the business sector, the courtyard of the North Sumatra Industry and Trade Office on Jalan Putri Hijau in Medan witnessed an unusual send-off. On Friday, November 27, 2020, North Sumatra Governor Edy Rahmayadi flagged off a shipment of 600 kilograms of patchouli oil bound for London, England, the work of PT Bentang Alam Sumatera (PT BAS), an essential oil exporter based in Medan Selayang.
The moment coincided with the handover of productive economic stimulus assistance for small businesses and farming enterprises. Governor Edy appeared upbeat. “I hope we can send off many more exports like this. It’s a symbol of our people’s prosperity,” he said, adding that he hoped such export activity would keep growing because it opens up an additional channel for local products and enterprises.
For PT BAS, the shipment to London was more than a ceremonial send-off. A long process lay behind it: oil sourced from a network of farmers in the mountains of Sumatra had to go through collection, drying, distillation and packaging before it could meet the standards of buyers in Europe.
Panut Hadisiswoyo, who served as president director of PT BAS at the time, said patchouli oil from North Sumatra and Aceh was among the best in quality. “Patchouli oil is a raw material used by cosmetics and perfume companies,” he said, adding that the company’s exports at the time were aimed solely at the British market, with production capacity of around 1.5 tons of patchouli oil per year.
That claim about the quality of Aceh and North Sumatra patchouli was not just one-sided promotion. Years later, Irdika Mansur, chairman of the Indonesian Essential Oil Council, made a similar point at an international forum on patchouli and essential oils in Banda Aceh. “Aceh is a source of the best-quality patchouli oil in the world,” he said, describing Indonesia’s westernmost province as an area highly suited to patchouli cultivation.
Indonesia’s position on the world patchouli map is no small matter. Data from the Directorate General of Plantations at the Ministry of Agriculture, widely cited by the media, shows Indonesia controls around 95% of the global patchouli oil market, with export volumes estimated at 1,200 to 1,500 tons a year to countries including Switzerland, Britain, Singapore, Spain and France. The commodity’s value depends heavily on its patchouli alcohol content and purity level, which makes quality control a critical matter starting from the moment raw material is still in farmers’ hands.
Part of the patchouli in PT BAS’s network comes from Blangkejeren, Gayo Lues, in Aceh. After harvesting and drying, the leaves and stems are distilled into patchouli oil, then packed into jerry cans or drums before being shipped through logistics channels to their destination countries. In the perfume industry, patchouli oil is known as a base note that helps anchor and extend a fragrance’s character — a woody, earthy, warm scent favored by perfume houses, cosmetics makers and the personal care industry alike.
In the end, the 2020 export to London illustrated a route connecting small plots in the mountains of Gayo Lues with buyers on the other side of the world. For PT BAS, that experience became a foundation for further expanding its patchouli network, along with its other essential oil and agribusiness commodities.
Source: Compiled from reporting by Tobapos.co (November 28, 2020), Directorate General of Plantations, Ministry of Agriculture data as cited by GoodNewsFromIndonesia.id, a statement from the Indonesian Essential Oil Council as cited by ANTARA News, and the PT Bentang Alam Sumatera 2026 profile.