BHADERWAH, June 4 : It is a moment of pride for all of us…Bhaderwah has emerged as the Lavender capital of India and Agri StartUp destination.
This was stated here today by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh while inaugurating the 2 -day Lavender festival here.
CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu has organised the event as part oof its One Week One Lab Campaign.
Dr Jitendra Singh described Bhaderwah as the birthplace of India’s Purple Revolution and the destination of Agri-StartUps.
The Minister said that the valley of Bhaderwah is the best example of development of the present progressive government at the centre which should have been celebrated much earlier, Bhaderwah being the best place for lavender cultivation in terms of land and climate.
Dr. Jitendra Singh while referring to the lavender cultivation in the region, said that Lavender is an avenue of employment generation and research opening many paradigms of development
The lavender cultivation has changed the lives of many farmers and it is heartening to note that Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, in the 99th Edition of Mann ki Baat, appreciated the efforts of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) in supporting farmers in the cultivation of Lavender in the Bhaderwah, Doda district, J&K under CSIR-Aroma Mission. He said, “Farmers had been engaged in traditional maize cultivation for decades, but some farmers thought of doing something different. They turned to floriculture, that is, the cultivation of flowers. Today, around two and a half thousand farmers are cultivating Lavender here. They have also been handheld through the Aroma Mission of the Central Government. This new cultivation has greatly increased the income of the farmers.”
