JAMMU & KASHMIR : Kashmir, known for apples and saffron, is witnessing the rise of another fragrant treasure—lavender. More and more farmers and entrepreneurs are showing interest in the lavender farming in the cold temperate region.
“Just as apples and saffron have long been synonymous with Kashmir, we want to ensure that in the coming years, the Valley is equally recognised for its thriving lavender cultivation,” floriculturist Abdul Hamid Shah said. “Kashmir’s cold temperature climate offers ideal conditions for lavender farming,” he said. Lavender is now being cultivated in all 10 districts of the Valley, including Pulwama, Kupwara, Shopian, Budgam, Ganderbal and Baramulla. Remarkably, its cultivation has even reached the border areas of Gurez and Uri, close to the LoC in north Kashmir.
Unlike many conventional crops, lavender is a long-term investment. According to Shah, a single plant bears flowers for at least 13 years, needs little maintenance and can be harvested from the second year of plantation. “Lavender thrives even with limited irrigation. It is naturally resistant to rodents and is rarely affected by pests or diseases, making it a low-maintenance crop with minimal risk of infection,” he said.
Rubeena Tabassum, a pioneer in lavender farming in Kashmir, started its cultivation on 150 kanals of land in Budgam in 2008 and has now expanded it to about 400 kanals. She has also built a value-added enterprise around the crop. The extracted oil of lavender flowers is used in soaps, cosmetics, perfumes, and medicinal products.
Rubeena has established her distillation unit where she processes harvested flowers into oil and manufactures value-added products, including natural perfumes. “I found lavender farming profitable and beneficial. Over the years, I have built a customer base and now sell my products directly to buyers across the country,” Rubeena said.
According to lavender growers, compared to traditional crops, lavender farming is more profitable. “About 1 kanal of land under maize cultivation generates an income of Rs 6,000 while the same area under lavender cultivation generates Rs 20,000-30,000,” said Rubeena. A lavender farmer gets about Rs 10,000-15,000 for one kg of oil produced from lavender flowers. The average per kanal yield of lavender is 2-2.5 kg oil. To expand her reach and eliminate intermediaries, Rubeena has launched her website, kashmiraromatics.in, and markets her products through social media platforms. Rubeena had to purchase lavender plants when she started its farming but now farmers need not to pay from their pockets.
The launch of CSIR-Aroma Mission in 2017 gave a boost to lavender farming in the Valley. Under this initiative, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu, distributes lavender plants free of charge.
“The demand for lavender planting material has risen over the years. We distributed 1.5 lakh lavender saplings in 2023-24, 2.75 lakh in 2024-25 and four lakh in 2025-26,” said floriculturist Shah. He said more than 2,500 kanals of land is currently under lavender cultivation across the Valley.