Pulwama, June 22: The Field Station of CSIR Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Bonera in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district is playing a pivotal role in lavender expansion across Jammu and Kashmir.
This aromatic bush with purple blossoms is cultivated for obtaining lavender oil, lavender water, dried lavender flowers and hydrosol for the development of value-added finished products like high-end cosmetics, fine fragrances, beauty and body care products, therapeutics, food and flavouring agents and varied products of industrial uses.
Annually, around 500 kilograms of lavender is produced at the station, which is one of the largest field stations for research and development on aromatic, medicinal and nutraceutical crops in India spread over around 1600 kanals of land.
Officials told Rising Kashmir said that a kilogram of lavender oil sells at Rs 10,000 in the market. Lavender oil is also used in aromatherapy; it promotes relaxation and is believed to treat anxiety, fungal infections, allergies, depression, insomnia, eczema, nausea and menstrual cramps. The Ministry of Science and Technology, GoI, has launched various projects and Mission programmes on the expansion of lavender-like CSIR’s Aroma Mission.
Through this Mission which was launched in a phased manner, all the districts across UT of J&K were covered for lavender cultivation, the officials said. They said the aim is to provide alternate crops to farmers and agri-entrepreneurs for increased income and livelihood opportunities and give a fillip to the Startup India campaign.
The officials said the field station has been working for so many years on research and development of various aromatic plants like lavender, rose, clarysage, rosemary and many other region-specific crops. “The agrarian situation in Jammu and Kashmir is evolving and there is a lot of scope for cultivation of such crops keeping in view the high demand for the essential oils in the production of high-end perfumes, cosmetics, fragrance and allied industries,” they said, adding that lavender is a signature crop for which the protocols have been standardised at the station for its production, processing and post harvest technology and now, there is a growing acceptance for adoption among farmers for this crop.
A researcher while talking to Rising Kashmir said that with each passing year, more farmers are approaching them for quality planting material, training and capacity building for commercial cultivation, processing and value-addition techniques. He informed that the thrust area of the station is on expanding the area under crop in Jammu and Kashmir so that the huge demand for lavender oil is met.
“We want to scale up its production to tap demand of the essential oil in the international market,” he added.
Another researcher working on the extension of the crop informed that initially, people lacked awareness about the nature, scope and benefits of lavender but after the launch of the Aroma Mission programme much information has been disseminated among farmers with the result many farmers have taken up the cultivation of this crop in their fields.
He said that through the mission programmes of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the department is hand-holding the entrepreneurs in establishing processing technology and marketing their products.
“The Field Station Pulwama is the birthplace of lavender expansion in Jammu and Kashmir that led the Purple Revolution, a mention of which was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent episode of Mann Ki Baat,” the researcher said.
