Jammu, Mar 31: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday informed the legislative assembly that the Gurez valley in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district possesses enormous potential for cultivation of herbal crops, which could considerably boost the local economy.
In a written reply to a question by National Conference legislator Nazir Ahmed Khan (Gurezi), the government as Kashmir Convener stated that the Agriculture Department, District Bandipora, has established a cluster for the promotion of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP) under the Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) to tap this potential.
The Minister Incharge, through the reply to Question, informed the House that under this initiative, interested farmers have been registered and standard-sized lavender plants were distributed during the year 2024-25.
It was further stated that lavender planting material has also been made available for the financial year 2025-26, which will be distributed among the registered farmers in April 2026. The planting material is being provided with a 100 per cent incentive.
So far, 50 farmers have been registered and benefited under the cluster, the government informed. For the current financial year, the department has arranged 30,000 lavender plants for distribution among interested farmers.
The government’s focus on leveraging the unique geographical conditions of Gurez to promote high-value cash crops, aiming to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for the local population the reply further reads.
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