Around 35 kilometres from Srinagar, in the heart of Pulwama’s Bonera village, a silent transformation is unfolding. In a region once known for apple orchards and saffron fields, rows of purple lavender now stretch across the land — marking the beginning of a quiet purple revolution in Kashmir’s agriculture.

These flowers are more than just a visual delight — they mark a growing shift in Kashmir’s farming landscape, as more farmers turn to lavender as a source of hope, health, and income.

Often called ‘purple gold’, lavender is thriving in the valley’s temperate climate. Once rare in the region, it is now being cultivated for its essential oil — widely used in aromatherapy to relieve stress, anxiety, insomnia, and skin conditions.

A scented shift in Pulwama

“We were once known for apples,” says Adil Khurshid, a young farmer from Pulwama. “But prices kept falling. We had orchards, but no profit. Then lavender came, and everything changed.”

Walking through his lavender fields, Adil gently brushes his hand across the blooming purple flowers. “Lavender changed that. It’s cheaper to grow and gives better returns. That’s why more farmers like me are switching.”

“Lavender cultivation is a big part of aromatic farming,” he says. “It suits our land, animals don’t eat it, and it doesn’t require the kind of investment apples do. It’s just smarter farming.”

Across Pulwama, fields once prone to wild animals and market fluctuations now bloom with lavender. Farmers say the crop demands less investment and delivers higher profits. “Compared to apples, it’s easier and more rewarding,” Adil reiterates.

At the heart of the lavender movement

At the centre of this agricultural shift lies one of the region’s largest research and development hubs for high-value crops. Spread over 60 hectares in Bonera at an altitude of 5,400 feet, the CSIR–IIIM field station — run by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR–IIIM), Jammu — plays a key role in guiding this transformation.

The station focuses on medicinal, aromatic, spice, and nutraceutical crops — helping to........

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