Key Highlights
- Targeted Crops: Introduction of lavender, Tagetes (wild marigold), rosemary, and Mentha in Himachal Pradesh.
- Technological Support: CSIR-IHBT Palampur provides training, quality planting material, and distillation units to farmers.
- Empowerment: Focus on tribal areas (e.g., Bharmour, Lahaul & Spiti) and promoting women-led farming, empowering over 40 farmers in initial training sessions.
- Value Addition: Focus on processing, creating essential oils, and value-added products (fragrance/perfumery).
Impact
- Income Enhancement: Farmers have seen incomes rise by ₹60,000 to ₹70,000 per hectare, with an average increase of ₹1.18 lakh per farmer.
- Land Utilization: Significant shift from traditional crops to aromatic crops, even in rain-fed/degraded lands.
- Job Creation: Created massive rural employment, generating over 60 lakh man-days.
- Export Potential: Aims to make India a leader in essential oils, reducing dependence on imports.
Future Scope
- Expansion (Phase III): Focused on scaling up production with an additional 700 tonnes of essential oil generation and enhancing processing technologies.
- Industrial Integration: Developing high-value aroma chemicals from deoiled herbs and strengthening marketing linkages for farmers.
- Sustainable Farming: Expanding “Aroma Villages” to ensure eco-friendly, sustainable livelihood opportunities.