CSIR Aroma Mission

Ministry of Science & Technology

Context:

Delivering keynote address at the Special Webinar on Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Aroma Mission on the eve of India’s 75th Independence Day

About CSIR Aroma Mission:

• The CSIR Aroma Mission launched in 2016
• The objective of CSIR Aroma Mission is envisaged to bring transformative change in the aroma sector through desired interventions in the areas of agriculture, processing and product development for fuelling the growth of aroma industry and rural employment.
• The mission will promote the cultivation of aromatic crops for essential oils that are in great demand by the aroma industry.
• It is expected to enable Indian farmers and aroma industry to become global leaders in the production and export of some other essential oils on the pattern of menthol mint.
• It aims to provide substantial benefits to the farmers in achieving higher profits, utilization of waste lands and protection of their crops from wild and grazing animals.
• Nodal Agencies: The nodal laboratory is CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow. The participating laboratories are CSIR Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur; CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu etc.
• Coverage: The scientific interventions made under the mission project would provide assured benefits to the growers of Vidarbha, Bundelkhand, Gujarat, Marathwada, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and other states where farmers are exposed to frequent episodes of weather extremes and account for maximum suicides. Aromatic Plants include lavender, damask rose, mushk bala, etc.

The objectives of the Mission have been divided into eight verticals.  These include:

• Development of superior varieties and their agro-technologies and assessment of their suitability for specific agro-climatic regions
• Promotion of cultivation and processing of aromatic crops, enhancing area under selected aromatic crops along with enabling interventions including setting up of distillation units and catalysing setting up of cooperatives for marketing of the produce
• Value-addition of aromatic crops (High-end aroma chemicals and products) ;
• Skill development activities
• Intellectual property generation, valuation and management
• Entrepreneurship development/Spin-offs
• Business development

This Mission aims to achieve following outcomes:

• Bring about 5500 ha of additional area under captive cultivation aromatic cash crops particularly targeting rain-fed /degraded land across the country
• Provide technical and infrastructural support for distillation and values-addition to farmers/growers all over the country
• Enabling effective buy-back mechanisms to assure remunerative prices to the farmers/growers
• Value-addition to essential oils and aroma ingredients for their integration in global trade and economy

Purple Revolution (Under Aroma Mission):

About:

• First-time farmers were given free lavender saplings and those who have cultivated lavender before were charged Rs. 5-6 per sapling.
• Aim: To support domestic aromatic crop based agro economy by moving from imported aromatic oils to homegrown varieties.
• Products: Main product is Lavender oil which sells for at least Rs. 10,000 per litre Lavender water, which separates from lavender oil, is used to make incense sticks. Hydrosol, which is formed after distillation from the flowers, is used to make soaps and room fresheners.
• Main Agencies Involved: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (IIIM Jammu), the two bodies are mainly responsible for making purple revolution under the Aroma Mission a success.
• Significance: Apart from being in sync with government policy of doubling farm incomes by 2022, lavender cultivation also provided employment to the district’s women farmers thus gave impetus to inclusive growth.

Source: PIB

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