India has converted most of its unused land into fertile land for producing aromatic plants under its National Aroma Mission. It is a government initiative to boost the production of essential oils derived from aromatic flowers like lavender and leaves like mint.
What is this Mission About?
The mission is to encourage farmers to take to the farming of aromatic plants needed for producing essential oils that are in high demand in the world. These oils are used in everything from beauty products to topical medicines. And the demand for these oils is so high that the industries are forced to use clinically made fragrances to enrich their products.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in India is assigned the job of developing varieties of aromatic plants and educating farmers about their advantages. Also, the scientists are asked to come out of their labs and visit fields where they can meet farmers and educate them about the farming of aromatic plants.
Milestones Achieved Under The Mission
A good part of the Jammu region has been converted into a Lavender valley where farmers produce lavender. It is a kind of flower used for getting essential oils used in the medical and beauty industry. Similarly, farmers of Himachal Pradesh are encouraged to take to the farming of lavender and other aromatic plants.
It is agriculture and science at work. Varieties of aromatic plants are developed in laboratories and provided to farmers for farming. It is a free service to farmers and the nation that is struggling to meet its demand for essential oils. Earlier India used to import all essential oils from foreign countries, but today it has reduced its dependence on imports by boosting its production of essential oils.
For example, India exports essential oils to the US and Europe. And it is a big achievement for a country that was dependent on imports to meet its demand for essential oils. India is making fast progress in the production of essential oils and when it will be a world supplier of essential oils isn’t too far.
Indian farmers are happy that science and technology have come to their rescue. Now they can also increase their earnings by selling their produce in the world market. They are growing aromatic plants and drawing essential oils from their plants. Since these oils are in high demand, they don’t have to wait for a long time to sell their produce.
Government Helping Farmers
It isn’t that the farmers are left alone to find varieties of aromatic flowers and grow them. Government agencies are standing behind the farmers that are growing aromatic plants. The farmers are provided technical and monetary assistance they need to increase their produce and profit.
For more information on the aromatic mission of India, you can visit India Science TV Channel that is a free OTT channel. It is a government of India initiative and the objective of the channel is to spread scientific knowledge in society. You can download the app of the channel to view the content on your mobile.