CM Omar Inaugurates Lavender Festival at Nunar, Launches ₹5.38-Crore Project

Ziraat Times News Desk

Ganderbal, June 18: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday inaugurated the Lavender Festival at the Model Floriculture Centre (MFC), Nunar, in Ganderbal and laid the foundation stone for a ₹5.38-crore post-harvest infrastructure project aimed at strengthening the medicinal and aromatic plants sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated and reviewed several agriculture infrastructure projects and distributed assistance among beneficiaries under various agriculture and allied sector schemes.

Addressing farmers, growers and local residents, Omar Abdullah described lavender cultivation as a new chapter in Jammu and Kashmir’s journey towards development and prosperity, saying the high-value and climate-resilient crop has added a fresh dimension to the region’s agricultural landscape.

He urged farmers to adopt lavender cultivation on commercial lines, noting that the crop offers opportunities for value addition through essential oil extraction, employment generation and rural tourism.

Drawing parallels with internationally known lavender destinations, the Chief Minister said Ganderbal’s lavender fields have the potential to attract tourists, particularly visitors travelling to Sonamarg, thereby creating additional sources of income for local communities.

He also stressed the need to reduce excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and said the government is promoting sustainable farming practices to preserve soil health.

Highlighting initiatives under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), Omar Abdullah said substantial investments are being made to modernise agriculture through improved infrastructure, mechanisation, value-addition facilities and promotion of high-value crops.

The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for a Post-Harvest Infrastructure Project for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants at MFC Nunar, being established under HADP and NABARD funding at a cost of ₹538.23 lakh.

The project includes an FPO Park with office and storage facilities, processing and e-marketing machinery, post-harvest management infrastructure, transportation facilities, a distillation unit, a quality control laboratory, shade-net structures and other support facilities.

He also reviewed infrastructure created at the centre under NABARD-funded projects, including a germplasm centre, irrigation facilities, farm mechanisation and essential oil distillation units.

On the occasion, sanction letters were distributed among beneficiaries for establishment of hi-tech polyhouses, common facilitation centres, dairy units and breed-based farms, while keys of tractors were also handed over under government-supported mechanisation programmes.

Referring to road widening works in Ganderbal, the Chief Minister acknowledged concerns raised by affected shopkeepers and assured that their issues would be addressed in a fair and humane manner through a suitable rehabilitation mechanism.

Minister for Agriculture Production and Rural Development Javid Ahmad Dar said HADP has opened new avenues for promoting medicinal and aromatic crops, including lavender, and can contribute significantly to the socio-economic transformation of the farming community.

Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani highlighted the government’s continued focus on strengthening agriculture through infrastructure development, technological interventions and farmer-centric initiatives.

Earlier, Omar Abdullah inspected stalls displaying lavender cultivation practices, essential oil extraction techniques, value-added products and innovations in the agriculture and floriculture sectors.

The festival was attended by senior government officials, scientists from SKUAST-Kashmir, agri-entrepreneurs, farmers and schoolchildren from different parts of the district.