AMN
In the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir about 2,500 farmers in the hilly Bhaderwah town of Doda district have given up their age-old tradition of growing maize to embrace the profitable lavender farming.
Union minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said Bhaderwah has created history by bringing purple revolution in the country by adopting the plantation of this aromatic flower.
According to these farmers of Doda district, who are growing lavender under the Union government’s Aroma Mission, the unconventional farming of aromatic plants has helped them become ‘atmanirbhar’.
Lavender was introduced to the temperate regions of the Jammu division by the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) under the CSIR-Aroma Mission in 2018. The institute initially tried to popularise it in Doda, Kishtwar, and Rajouri districts.
Finding suitable cold climate and favourable growing conditions, a couple of small and marginal farmers of Bhaderwah region took the risk and switched to lavender cultivation in 2017. Until then farming of maize crops was the only agricultural practice for them.
Dr Jatinder Singh, the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office, said, ”I feel very proud as the name of Bhaderwah got recognition in the history of our country due to the success of lavender cultivation.