Aromatic plants are defined as all types of plants that have volatile oils in their stems or leaves. These oils are highly scented and are released when the plant is crushed or bent. These aromatic plants are used most often for:

• Producing essential oils

• Medicinal purposes

• Cosmetics

• Pesticides

• Culinary purposes and

• Herbal beverages too

India is seeing a lot of growth in this area thanks to a high level of agrotech innovation and the CSIR Aroma Mission too.

What is the CSIR Aroma Mission?
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has a network of national laboratories spread across the length and breadth of India. These institutes are powering the CSIR Aroma Mission which is looking to achieve the following goals:

• Value-addition to aromatic plants

• Promote the cultivation, and processing of aromatic crops across specific regions

• Make India self-sufficient in essential oils

• Grow India into a centre for business opportunities, progressive farming techniques, increase exports, and a hub of information related to aromatic plants

Few of the major aromatic crops grown in India are:

• Dhavana

• Vetiver

• Geranium

• Patchouli

• Lemon grass

• Citronella

• Rosemary

• Mints of various kinds

• Lavender

The Aroma Mission is growing across many states in India and taking on unique forms as well.

Aroma Mission in states
In Jammu and Kashmir, this mission is also known as Purple Revolution or Lavender Revolution. Plants such as lavender, and damask rose are covered here. Lavender water and oil are the main products here. And around 500 farmers benefitted by growing lavender rather than maize.

Tamil Nadu is planning to add 30,000 hectares to the area under aromatic plant cultivation. Upper Palani Hills is the targeted location here to increase the production of essential oils for commercial use in pharmaceuticals, perfumes, and cosmetics.

Meghalaya's Aroma Mission initiative has resulted in the establishment of thirteen essential oil distillation units. Plants such as geranium, citronella, turmeric, and lemon grass are thriving well under this Mission.

Areas like Gaya, East & West Champaran, Supaul, and Rohtash are a few of the places implementing the Aroma Mission in Bihar. Farmers are getting multi-pronged support to grow crops like mulberry, tulsi, palmarosa, and shatavari. They are being encouraged to shift from traditional rice cultivation to commercial crops such as aromatic plants.

Clusters of Aroma Mission centres are active in states such as Odisha, Karnataka, Gujarat, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh also, to name a few.

Indeed, there is a lot of money to be made with the cultivation of aromatic crops. For instance, a farmer growing atheesh; an herb; can make around ₹ 2 lakhs per acre. The potential of growth in this agricultural sector is high because of growth in demand from natural medicine manufacturers.

India's rich biodiversity, the involvement of institutes such as CSIR and Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and growing demand from various kinds of businesses is taking the Aroma Mission to greater heights!

#InterestingInfo

• It was mostly women farmers who attended the awareness programme of Aroma Mission in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu.

• Lavender oil can be sold for around ₹ 10,000 per litre