Kathua, Dec 21: As the ‘Aroma Mission’ or ‘Purple Revolution’ has changed the lives of thousands of farmers for the better in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond, the Department of Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Kathua distributed lavender saplings among farmers during an awareness camp held at Duggan.
The aim is to support domestic aromatic crop-based agro-economy by moving from imported aromatic oils to home-grown varieties, the department said.
Upon distribution of saplings to farmers, BDC member Neelam Devi thanked Sanjeev Rai Gupta CAO Kathua, Rohit Singh Baloria, SDAO Basohi, AEO Bani, Surinder Kumar and other concerned officers and officials of the Agriculture Department, Bani, Kathua for their guidance.
The farmers of Duggan, Bhullari and Dhagger panchayats of Bani and Duggan Block were offered lavender saplings expansion and diversification of aromatic and medicinal plants. She said, “Compared to any other normal crop, such as maize, it could hardly fetch Rs 2500 per kanal but lavender can easily fetch up to Rs 15,000 per kanal every year.”
Chief Agriculture Officer, Kathua Sanjeev Rai Gupta said, “As lavender is grown in cold temperatures and moderate summers, topography and soils from Dhagger, Bani, Lowang, Sarthal, Duggan, Bhullari are best suited for its cultivation.” He said the department is planning to bring 52 kanals of land under lavender cultivation this season which will further be enhanced in subsequent years and more areas will be targeted for lavender cultivation as a commercial crop. “The lavender has been a ray of hope for farmers with small land holdings,” he said.
