Excelsior Correspondent
BHADERWAH, Jan 5: Farmers of Bhaderwah, who created history by bringing purple revolution by adopting plantation of aromatic flower Lavender, have pitched hopes on the upcoming Union Budget to further boost the Aroma Mission.
About 4000 farmers who have given up their age-old tradition of growing maize to embrace the profitable lavender farming want that government should continue support to farmers under Aroma Mission and have demanded that more import duty should be imposed on lavender flowers, its oil and by-products to encourage the indigenous farmers.
“We are proud that farmers of this small valley brought famous Purple Revolution in the country. We are grateful to PM Modi and Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Jatinder Singh who encouraged us by extending all kind of support through Aroma Mission,” said Touqeer Bagban, a progressive farmer of Bhaderwah.
“Finance Minister is scheduled to present the Union Budget on February 1 and our appeal to the government is that to safeguard the interests of local farmers, more tariff should be imposed on imported Lavender, lavender oil and its by-products, which will be of great help to the farmer community engaged in Lavender farming,” he maintained adding: “More focus should be placed on funds allocated for value addition of the aromatic flower and to boost Lavender tourism.”
It is pertinent to mention here that farmers of Neota-Kariyan and Lehrote Panchayts of Bhaderwah who switched from age-old maize farming to the cultivation of Lavender flowers in 2015 claimed that during the last 4 years, margin of their profit from the yield has decreased considerably.
They hoped that the government will consider their problems and extend a helping hand to save the farming community from further loses.
“In last four years profits from produce have come down considerably as departments CSIR-IIIM, Agriculture and Floriculture have stopped purchasing saplings from our nurseries which we have established in large numbers,” said Nek Chand, another progressive farmer from village Tipri.
“Our appeal to the Prime Minister is that Aroma Mission should continue to support the farmers as Lavender farming is still in its infancy and enough funds should be allocated to the concerned departments to buy Lavender plants so that hundreds of nurseries and livelihood of thousands of farmers be restored,” he further said.
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