Srinagar: Welcome to June, the most aromatic month on the lavender haven in Jammu & Kashmir, which will celebrate this purple bloom.
The popularity of lavender farming has been on the rise in the region, leading the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu to initiate a lavender festival in Bhaderwah, also known as Chota Kashmir. This festival is part of the One Week One Lab Campaign and will take place on June 4 to 5.
In an official video released by the institute, Director CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, Dr. Zabeer Ahmad, announced the lavender festival scheduled for June 4 and 5.
Dr. Zabeer expressed his enthusiasm for the festival, highlighting the participation of local farmers, members of civil society, young entrepreneurs, and industrialists. “The institute is excited to witness and support this purple revolution,” he said.
It’s important to note that Lavender is a perennial shrub that can live up to 15-20 years, primarily propagated through rooted cuttings. It starts producing flowers abundantly, resulting in commercial yield by the third year of growth. Lavender is a low-water and sun-loving plant.
Beyond its captivating fragrance, lavender has diverse applications in cosmetics, cuisine, medicine, crafts, and decoration. The essential oils extracted from this enchanting herb have brought benefits to numerous farmers and fostered the development of several small creative ventures across the union territory.
As part of the CSIR-Aroma Mission, CSIR-IIIM Jammu introduced Lavender to farmers in various districts of Jammu and Kashmir. They provided free high-quality planting materials and a complete package of guidance on how to grow, process, add value to, and market the Lavender crop. In order to assist farmers with processing their Lavender harvest, CSIR-IIIM installed fifty-five distillation units (fifty fixed and five mobile units) at different locations throughout J&K under the CSIR-Aroma Mission.
Consequently, more than 2500 farming families are associated with lavender cultivation. In addition to this, lavender farming has employed more than 5000 entrepreneurs in the region.
