Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the 4th Lavender festival to be organised by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu at the Government Degree College (GDC), Bhaderwah, Doda, on June 6 and 7, 2026.

Director CSIR-IIIM Jammu Dr Zabeer Ahmed, while announcing it in a curtain raiser press conference at Institute complex, stated that the festival would be organised under the theme, “Lavender goes global”, celebrating the “continued success of the purple revolution and lavender-based rural entrepreneurship in J&K.”

Dr Ahmed said that through CSIR-Aroma Mission, a flagship programme of Union Ministry of Science and Technology, under the mentorship of Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister and Vice President CSIR, and guidance of Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General CSIR and Secretary DSIR, Government of India, the CSIR-IIIM implemented Aroma Mission in J&K thus empowered the rural communities through lavender cultivation by engaging over 5,000 farmers and young entrepreneurs in remote areas, providing free Quality Planting Material (QPM), support in cultivation, processing, value addition, and marketing.

During the three phases of this mission completed, more than 50 fixed and mobile distillation units across J&K were installed to support local-level processing of lavender produce.

During the curtain raiser event, the web portal of “Lavender festival 2026” was launched and the Lavender festival brochure was also released.

The festival is being organised under the patronage of Dr N Kalaiselvi and overall supervision of Dr Zabeer Ahmed, assisted by his team of HoDs and scientists including Abdul Rahim, Dr Asha Chaubey, Dr Dhiraj Vyas, Dr Shashank Singh, Dr Sumit Gandhi, Dr Naveed Qazi, Dr Suphla Gupta, Dr Saurabh Saran, Kaushal Kumar, Dr Raj Kishore, Zahoor Wani, Rajesh Gupta and Ashok Kumar.

Dr Ahmed said that the “Lavender festival” emerged as a national platform showcasing the transformation brought by the CSIR-Aroma Mission in remote Himalayan regions, especially Bhaderwah, which had become a major lavender cultivation hub under the “Purple Revolution” initiative.

He said the 2026 festival would witness enthusiastic participation of scientists, startups, aroma industries, entrepreneurs, policymakers, agri-business stakeholders, students, progressive farmers and representatives of fragrance and wellness companies from across the country.

The Director said the event would feature startup exhibitions, live demonstrations, buyer-seller interactions, technical sessions, farmer-industry networking and displays of value-added lavender and aromatic products developed by local entrepreneurs and startups.

Highlighting the growing impact of the aroma sector, Dr Ahmed said CSIR-IIIM played a pioneering role in expanding lavender cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir Uttarakhand, north eastern states and Himachal Pradesh through scientific interventions, free quality planting material, distillation technologies, training and entrepreneurship support.

He said thousands of farmers and young entrepreneurs benefitted from lavender cultivation, while women-led enterprises and startups also emerged under the mission.

Dr Ahmed said, “The upcoming festival follows a series of precursor events organised to strengthen the aroma ecosystem and market linkages in the region.”

He referred to the recent aroma buyer-seller meet organised at the CSIR Innovation Complex, Mumbai, where leading aroma and perfumery companies interacted directly with lavender farmers, startups and entrepreneurs from J&K.

Earlier, another buyer–seller meet jointly organised by the Directorate of Ayush, J&K Medicinal Plants Board and CSIR-IIIM at Bhaderwah focused on strengthening the medicinal and aromatic plants sector through direct farmer-industry partnerships and contract farming initiatives.

He said those interactions laid the foundation for a stronger aroma-based economy in Jammu and Kashmir by connecting farmers with industries, startups and national markets.

Dr Ahmed said the Lavender festival 2026 aimed to further promote agri-based entrepreneurship, sustainable livelihoods and innovation in the aromatic crops sector.

He said several startups, farmer producer organisations, self-help groups and research institutions would showcase products related to essential oils, herbal wellness, floriculture, cosmetics, organic products and aroma technologies during the festival.

The event, according to him, will also include technical discussions on lavender cultivation, post-harvest management, essential oil extraction, branding, marketing and export opportunities.

Seeking wholehearted participation of people from different walks of life, Dr Ahmed said, “The festival is not only a celebration of lavender cultivation but also a movement towards transforming the rural economy of the Himalayan region through science-driven agriculture and entrepreneurship.”

He appealed to farmers, students, startups, researchers, industry representatives, media persons and members of civil society from J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and across the country to attend the festival and witness the success story of the “Purple revolution in Bhaderwah.”

He also extended a special invitation to national and regional media organisations, journalists, digital content creators and documentary filmmakers to extensively cover the festival and highlight the transformation of the Himalayan rural economy through lavender cultivation and aroma-based entrepreneurship.

Ganderbal, May 29: Cherry picking has begun in parts of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, one of the Valley’s largest cherry-producing regions. Cherries hold a crucial position in Kashmir’s horticulture sector, particularly after the strawberry harvest.

This year, growers in Ganderbal are expecting a bumper crop. The harvesting season is expected to peak over the next two weeks and continue until mid-June.

While the Awwal and Double varieties are harvested from the second week of May, Mishri—one of the most sought-after varieties—is expected to be ready for harvesting in the first week of June.

Nearly a dozen villages, including Lar, Waliwar, Chuntwaliwar, Gutlibagh, Zazna and adjoining areas of Ganderbal district, are major producers of different cherry varieties.

However, even as harvesting gradually picks up pace, low market prices have left growers disappointed.

“As of now, cherry prices in the market are low,” said Mohammad Akbar, a farmer from Gutlibagh. “We were expecting better rates.”

Over the past few years, horticulture growers suffered losses due to prolonged COVID-19 disruptions and adverse weather conditions, including recent hailstorms. This year, however, farmers are hopeful of better returns owing to the expected bumper harvest.

“Even as Kashmir has witnessed a bumper cherry crop this year, growers are a distressed lot due to low demand and falling prices,” said grower Jahanzeb Alam.

He said there are four major cherry varieties cultivated in Kashmir—Awwal Number, Double, Mishri and Makhmali—with the latter two exported to other states.

Cherries are highly perishable and have a very short shelf life, making timely marketing and transportation crucial for growers.

Ganderbal district is among the highest cherry-producing districts in Kashmir and is known for producing the season’s first domestic fruit to enter the market.

With nearly 1,200 hectares under cherry cultivation, Ganderbal is considered the hub of cherry production in Kashmir, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the Valley’s total output. An estimated 5,000 growers are associated with cherry cultivation in the district.

Major cherry-growing areas in Ganderbal include Chuntwaliwar, Gulabpora, Lar, Gutlibagh, Wakura, Dab, Batwina and parts of Kangan, where orchards had recently been in full bloom.