Jammu and Kashmir: The Make In India campaign has been really successful in promoting the brand Kashmir that it is no surprise to encounter Kashmiri products, from something as small as Lavender essential oil to carpets, in any part of the globe.
The Kashmir valley has always been famous for its fruits and dry fruits, mainly for Gulf export. Nowadays, even the most basic grocery stores in Germany and other parts of Europe are stocking Kashmiri goods such as dried apricots, rose oil, and herbs.
This revolution in Kashmir is the result of diversification in agricultural products. Because of the mediation of the Indian government, today, J&K is competing with all international brands and names in the aromatherapy and naturopathy sphere.
Undoubtedly, the Himalayas are the home of the rarest herbs and medicinal flora. Owing to the lack of effective regulations and a social unrest in the area for the last three decades, theft and trafficking of these uncommon plants and flowers were widespread.
In 1997, the extension of the Forest Conservation Act on the erstwhile of J&K provided the strength merely on papers. However, things have certainly changed as J&K Union Territory adopted the law against the threat to natural laws. The Forest Department has established a collection of numerous plant species in the form of a herbal park located in a pine forest at Viji Top, which is at an altitude of 1,900 meters. This herbal park was created three years ago and yielded a bounty of plants across its 18 hectares of land.
Bygone herbs and plants have been again brought to India. Many prominent universities have taken it upon themselves to dig deeper and find a solution to reborn these varieties in the Kashmir valley.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people shifted to ayurvedic herbs, organic food, aromatherapy, and natural supplements. People started giving priority to their health. This demand has created an enormous opportunity for J&K.
2022 was considered a golden period for Saffron and Lavender, and youngsters also started returning to their homes or their family businesses. The hill station J&K has immense entrepreneurship opportunities in agriculture and allied sectors.
The J&K government has been presented with 338 proposals in the biotech sector due to the New Industrial Development Scheme. With 3,500 medicinal plant species, the region has the potential to make a mark in organic pharmaceutics.
This will benefit the local citizens, as companies in other parts of India have been selling organic biotin and other health products at premium prices. If J&K joins the same market, it will significantly contribute to the growth of its economy.
The government of India restricted pr banned many pesticides in certain regions dedicated to organic farming because that can help soil health, and increasing soil health means the highest quality products.
