In a recent development, the Union Minister of State Science & Technology proposed an Integrated Aroma Dairy Entrepreneurship for Jammu & Kashmir. The plan is aimed at increasing the income of farmers via the Aroma Mission, also known as the Lavender or Purple Revolution. The revolution has already resulted in major transformations for farmers in these areas by enabling them to grow lavender profitably, hence improving their lives.
The Aroma Mission: An Overview
The objective of the Aroma Mission is to promote the cultivation of aromatic crops, producing essential oils that are in high demand in the aroma industry. This will provide significant benefits to farmers, including higher profits, better use of wastelands, and crop protection from wild and grazing animals. The mission aims to position Indian farmers and the aroma industry as global leaders in production and export of some essential oils akin to menthol mint.
Nodal Agencies for the Aroma Mission
The nodal laboratory designated for this initiative is the CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP) based in Lucknow. Other participating laboratories include the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, and the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu.
Aromatics Plant and Geographic Coverage
Aromatic plants grown under this scheme consist of lavender, damask rose, and mushk bala. The mission targets states exposed to extreme weather events and high suicide rates among farmers, such as Vidarbha, Bundelkhand, Gujarat, Marathwada, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha.
Launching of Aroma Mission Phase-II
After achieving success in the first phase, CSIR-IIIM-Jammu announced the second phase of the Aroma Mission in February 2021. This phase will focus on setting up cooperatives for marketing, promoting cultivation and processing of high-value medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), developing superior varieties and their agro-technologies, establishing distillation units and processing facilities, enhancing skills and entrepreneurship, and adding value to products developed from MAPs.
Benefits of the Aroma Mission
The Aroma Mission aligns with the government’s objective of doubling farm incomes by 2022. Moreover, it promotes employment for women farmers, paving the way for inclusive growth.
Floriculture Mission: Enhancing Aesthetics and Value
Floriculture is an aspect of horticulture that involves cultivating, processing, and marketing ornamental plants. The Floriculture Mission focuses on commercial floral crops, seasonal/annual crops, wild ornaments, and the cultivation of flower crops for honey bee rearing. Some popular crops include Gladiolus, Canna, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Gerbera, Lilium, Marigold, Rose, and Tuberose.
Implementing Agencies for the Floriculture Mission
In addition to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), agencies like Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), APEDA, TRIFED, Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj, and Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) are key supporters of this initiative.
Indian Floriculture Market Outlook
The Indian floriculture market, valued at INR 157 Billion in 2018, is predicted to grow to INR 661 Billion by 2026. This growth represents a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.2% during the period of 2021-2026.
Significance of Floriculture
Floriculture can create massive employment opportunities through nursery raising, floriculture farming, entrepreneurship development for nursery trade, value addition, and export. Furthermore, despite India’s diverse ecological conditions and rich plant diversity, India only captures 0.6% of the global floriculture market. The country imports at least 1200 million USD worth of floricultural products annually. Thus, the sector holds significant promise for import substitution.
