How many years does white sandalwood (chandan) take to harvest and what heartwood return can I expect?

White sandalwood (Santalum album) is a slow, long gestation crop. Usable heartwood starts forming only after the tree is about 12 to 15 years old, and most growers harvest between 15 and 30 years depending on girth. The valuable part is the heartwood and roots, not the whole tree, and heartwood weight varies a lot from tree to tree, so any per tree figure you hear should be treated as a wide range and not a promise. Returns depend on heartwood percentage, oil content and the rate at sale time, all of which can swing. Two things are non negotiable. First, sandalwood is a partial root parasite and needs a host plant like red gram, casuarina or other hosts nearby to grow well. Second, in many states sandalwood ownership, felling and sale are governed by forest and excise rules, so you must register your trees and get permission to fell and sell. Do not believe any company that promises a fixed lakhs per tree buyback after 12 years. There are widespread sandalwood investment scams. Verify the felling and transit rules and the buyback in writing with your state forest department before paying anyone.