3rd Lavender Festival Kicks Off in Bhaderwah
The third edition of the Lavender Festival begins today in Bhaderwah, Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, with Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh set to inaugurate the two-day event.
Organised by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu, the festival will also feature an Agri Startup Expo highlighting innovations in lavender-based products and agricultural technologies.
This year’s festival celebrates the remarkable growth of lavender farming under the CSIR-Aroma Mission, a flagship initiative of the Union Ministry of Science & Technology. The mission, closely guided by Dr. Jitendra Singh, has empowered over 5,000 farmers and young entrepreneurs across Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and the North-Eastern states by providing free quality planting material and end-to-end technological support—from cultivation to marketing.
In Jammu & Kashmir alone, more than 50 distillation units have been installed to process lavender locally. Bhaderwah tehsil in Doda has emerged as a model success, with farmers generating a turnover of ₹10.5 crore through the sale of lavender oil and dried flowers. Over ₹1 crore worth of planting material has also been sold, showcasing the area’s growing agri-enterprise ecosystem.
The initiative has also led to greater participation of women in lavender farming, contributing to both economic growth and women’s empowerment.
Bringing together farmers, scientists, startups, policymakers, and industry leaders from across the country, the festival aims to promote agri-based entrepreneurship in aromatic crops and catalyze the transformation of the region’s agro-economy with wider national implications
