Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, highlighted the spread of lavender cultivation to Bani, a remote tehsil in the upper reaches of Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir, marking a fresh milestone in the Union Territory's aromatic crop diversification drive.

Context

The minister's post — 'Bani too adopts Lavender…in the upper reaches of district Kathua' — signals that the aromatic farming initiative has now reached one of the more inaccessible highland pockets of the Jammu division. Bani is a high-altitude tehsil whose terrain and climate make it suitable for lavender, a crop that thrives in cool, well-drained hillside conditions. Dr. Jitendra Singh represents the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, which encompasses Kathua district, lending direct political and administrative salience to the development.

Policy Backdrop

The lavender push in Jammu and Kashmir is anchored in a programme led by CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, which first piloted lavender cultivation in Doda district during 2018-19. The initiative, often described as the 'Purple Revolution,' pairs central scientific institutions with district administrations to introduce high-value, low-volume aromatic crops as alternatives to subsistence farming. Since the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory in 2019, similar crop-introduction efforts have been extended across multiple districts in the Himalayan belt. Bani's adoption of lavender represents a continuation of that documented geographic spread beyond the original pilot sites.

Stakeholders and Impact

Hill farmers in Bani and surrounding areas of Kathua stand to benefit most directly, gaining access to a cash crop whose essential oil commands premium prices in domestic and export markets. The model reduces dependence on rain-fed subsistence agriculture and offers a more predictable income stream once distillation and market-linkage infrastructure is in place. Aromatic crop growers who adopted lavender in earlier districts such as Doda and Ramban have seen income diversification, providing a template that Bani's farming communities can follow. Central scientific institutions involved in the programme supply planting material, technical guidance, and training to farmers entering the value chain for the first time.

What's Next

The immediate priority for Kathua will be the establishment of distillation units capable of processing harvested lavender into essential oil close to the farm gate, minimising post-harvest losses. Market linkages — connecting growers to buyers in the fragrance, pharmaceutical, and wellness sectors — are the next critical step for sustaining farmer interest beyond the first crop cycle. Inclusion of Bani's lavender zone in the annual horticulture and crop-diversification action plans of Jammu and Kashmir would formalise the support structure. Dr. Singh's public acknowledgement of the development is likely to accelerate administrative attention and resource allocation to the newly expanded cultivation belt.