The harvesting of lavender commenced on Saturday at the Bonera Field Station in Pulwama district, a research farm of the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), marking another step in promoting commercial cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants across Jammu and Kashmir.The harvest is being carried out under CSIR-IIIM’s Purple Project, which seeks to demonstrate the commercial viability of lavender cultivation and encourage farmers to diversify into high-value aromatic crops.
Officials said the initiative provides end-to-end support to growers, including quality planting material, scientific cultivation techniques, processing, value addition, quality testing and market linkages, with the objective of enhancing farm incomes through aromatic crop cultivation.
Speaking on the occasion, CSIR-IIIM Director Dr. Zabeer Ahmed said the institute has launched four flagship initiatives under the guidance of Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh to strengthen the medicinal and aromatic plants sector while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural areas.The initiatives include the Aroma Mission, Floriculture Mission, Phyto-Pharmaceutical Mission and Himalayan Bio-resource Prospection Mission.
“All these missions are directly or indirectly linked to medicinal and aromatic plants and are aimed at creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for farmers,” Ahmed said.
He said Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a biodiversity hotspot with immense potential for cultivating medicinal and aromatic plants. He added that the Union Territory administration is formulating a dedicated Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Mission under the supervision of the Chief Secretary to further accelerate the sector’s growth.Dr. Shahid Rasool, Scientist In-Charge of the CSIR-IIIM Bonera Field Station, described the facility as a “living laboratory” where advanced agricultural technologies are tested under real farming conditions before being transferred to farmers and other stakeholders.
“Every demonstration plot reflects years of scientific refinement aimed at maximizing productivity, essential oil quality and climate resilience,” he said.
Rasool said the station’s activities extend beyond research, focusing on farmer capacity building, supporting agri-startups, facilitating technology commercialization and promoting sustainable rural enterprises.
“The purple fields of Bonera stand today as a testament to the successful convergence of scientific excellence, innovation and inclusive rural development,” he added.
Located around 40 kilometres from Srinagar, the 60-hectare Bonera Field Station serves as a major research and demonstration centre where farmers receive training in scientific cultivation practices. The facility also showcases post-harvest processing and value-addition technologies aimed at improving returns from aromatic crops.
Lavender cultivation has expanded steadily in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir under CSIR-IIIM’s Aroma Mission, with the crop emerging as a climate-suitable, high-value alternative that is helping farmers diversify their income sources.
