Context
‘Lavender Cultivation’ under CSIR-IIIM’s Aroma Mission to be started in Ramban as a part of Purple Revolution.
Key-points
- An ‘Aroma Mission’ has been launched to boost cultivation of aromatic crops like lavender, rosemary and lemongrass keeping in view the plight of farmers involved in traditional agriculture and their flight from rural areas due to climate change.
- It is implemented by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR).
Significance
- Aroma Mission launched by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology through the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, which has led to the well-known “Purple Revolution” in India.
- It begins with the introduction of high-value essential oil bearing lavender crop through its Jammu based laboratory, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicines (IIIM) for cultivation in districts Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri and later also in the other districts including Ramban, Pulwama, etc.
- In a brief span of time, aroma/lavender cultivation has become a popular option in farming for agricultural Start-up.
About Lavender
- Lavender is an herb native to northern Africa and the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean.
- Lavender is also grown for the production of its essential oil, which comes from the distillation of the flower spikes of certain lavender species.
- The oil has cosmetic uses, and it is believed to have some medicinal uses.
- Lavender essential oil, in contrast to the plant form, is toxic when swallowed
Objectives
- Over 500 youth had taken benefit from the purple revolution and augmented their income many-fold.
- Lavender cultivation under the Ministry of Science and Technology’s AROMA mission will help in providing means of livelihood to budding farmers and agri-entrepreneurs and give a boost to Start-Up India campaign and promote a spirit of entrepreneurship in the region.
- The objective is to boost cultivation and value-addition of aromatic plants for supply to industries related to aroma business and to the traditional system of Indian medicine.
