Farming and Processing of Aromatic Plants Doubles Income in Himachal Farmers

1. Farming and Processing of Aromatic Plants Doubles Income in Himachal Farmers

2. What are Aromatic Plants? • Aromatic plantsare special kind of plants which are known and used for their aroma and flavour. • Many of them are also used for medicinal purposes. • Theyare from a numerically large group of economically important plants. • Aromaticcompounds are present in plantse. in root, wood, bark, foliage, flower, fruit, seed etc.

3. Farmers in Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh are looking for new livelihood options to increase their income in addition to traditional crops like maize, paddy and wheat. Cultivation of aromatic plants has provided additional income to the farmers. Farmers have extracted aromatic oils from an improved variety of wild marigold (Tagetes minuta) plants and the benefits from wild marigold oil have doubled farmers’ income compared to traditional maize, wheat and paddy crops.

4. Positive changes have been brought about in the lives and livelihoods of farmers through various measures taken by the Society for Technology and Development (STD), Mandi Core Support Group, Seeds Department and Department of Science and Technology. The Society for Technology and Development in collaboration with CSIR-Himalayan Institute of Biosampled Technology Palampur cultivates aromatic plants (improved varieties of wild marigold, IHBT) and farming community in Parvai village of Bhatiyat block of Chamba, an aspirational district Processing work is started.

5. The technology has brought about better colony growth & less swarming as compared to earlier used wooden boxes because of the favourable conditions they created. Introduction of indigenous bees, which can survive better in the apple growing areas, to replace the Italian bees through this technology has helped increase the average productivity of apple orchards by around 25 per cent. For Further Read - Aromatic plants and beekeeping double farmers’ income in HP