Context:
- Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Lavender Festival in Bhaderwah, Jammu, as part of the One Week One Lab Campaign organized by CSIR-IIIM.
- This is the 2nd year of the lavender revolution.
- People hail Bhaderwah as the Lavender capital of India and an Agri Startup destination.
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What is the Lavender Revolution?
- The Union Ministry of Science & Technology launched the Purple or Lavender Revolution in 2016 through the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) Aroma Mission.
- Farmers in almost all the 20 districts of Jammu & Kashmir practice lavender cultivation.
- The mission provided free lavender saplings to first-time farmers, while they charged Rs. 5-6 per sapling to those who had cultivated lavender before.
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Aim:
- To support domestic aromatic crop based agro economy by moving from imported aromatic oils to homegrown varieties.
Products:
- Main product is Lavender oil which sells for at least Rs. 10,000 per litre.
- People use lavender water, which separates from lavender oil, to make incense sticks.
- They use hydrosol, which is formed after distillation from the flowers, to make soaps and room fresheners.
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Significance:
- It is in sync with the government policy of doubling farm incomes by 2022.
- It will help in providing means of livelihood to budding farmers and agri-entrepreneurs and give a boost to Start-Up India campaign and promote a spirit of entrepreneurship in the region.
- Over 500 youth had taken benefit from the purple revolution and augmented their income many-fold.
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First Lavender Festival, First Lavender Festival
