‘King of Medicines’: Lavender Preference of Kashmiri Farmers

Indian-administered Kashmir is traditionally known for its apples, walnuts, saffron, poplars, pine trees and tulips, but this time Kashmir Lavender is in the headlines for cultivation.

Lavender is a fragrant, flowering plant widely cultivated in temperate regions for ornamental use or as an herb.

Medicines Cultivation of lavender in parts of Indian-administered Kashmir has become a preferred choice for thousands of farmers due to its potential for use and better profits, and is known as the ‘King of Medicines’.

Of Tehsil Chadoora of District Budgam planting workGhulam Mohiuddin told Independent Urdu that ‘Lavender cultivation requires mostly forest land, the best lavender is grown here.’

In Indian-administered Kashmir, farmers traditionally grew crops like maize, rice and millet, which did not yield much profit, but lavender cultivation has multiplied their earnings.

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Ghulam Mohiuddin further said that ‘according to the data, five thousand farmers are cultivating lavender on an area of ​​more than two hundred acres, due to which their economy has increased four to five times.’

“We earn a lot from it,” he said. The laborers are also earning indirectly because this work cannot be handled alone.’

He said that there are many barren lands in Kashmir, which are suitable for lavender farming.

The climate of Indian-administered Kashmir is very favorable for lavender cultivation, as the plant can grow in cool temperatures and mild summers. Lavender, in the form of dried flowers, oil and water, is an important raw material for the cosmetic and fragrance industries, as well as medicine, and has great potential for sales in the global market.

Lavender is used as an ingredient in antifungal and antibacterial medicines and is effective against burns and insect bites. Some Mumbai-based companies buy lavender extract from farmers in Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam Rajouri, Doda, Ramban and Pulwama in Indian-administered Kashmir.