Dehradun: Long stretches of slopy land, once barren, now boast of colours, in mosaic of pink and white, and emit fragrance that hang thick in the air. With the mild breeze, as the first rays of the sun kiss the rows of delicate roses - the Bulgarian roses - they gently sway and swirl in the serene landscape with the backdrop of the pristine Himalayas. If you thought this was a picture postcard from Bulgaria, you are mistaken. Welcome to the land of Uttarakhand.
At a time when the Uttarakhand government had been contemplating to experiment on various crops that can sustain farmers even under adverse geographical conditions of the state, aroma farming through Bulgarian roses has come as a fragrant option that not only has good prospects but seems viable even with limited resources.
Rosa damascena, the prized Bulgarian rose has sparked some hope among the farmers to earn well not only through the flowers but its oil that is highly priced - Rs 15 lakh per litre in the international market, a sustainable solution for farmers who had nearly given up on agriculture. Neither do the flowering plants need more water nor are the wild animals attracted to them.
As it is, people in the mountainous region, had lost interest in farming because it did not fetch them good money and the wild animals caused havoc. Moreover, in small lands, large scale crops could not be cultivated.
This Bulgarian rose species first introduced in India during the Mughal era, had already been experimented in Kashmir in 1989 and now being taken up on a large scale in Uttarakhand following a lot of research work and trials by the Uttarakhand Aromatic Plant Centre, about 30 km from Dehradun. Hundreds of Bulgarian rose plants have been planted at the centre to be distributed to the farmers.
“This species of the rose does not need water like other crops. It can survive with less water even on the barren lands. Once planted, they give yield for up to 15 years,” explained Nipendra Chauhan, Director of the Aromatic Plant Centre.
The pilot projects taken up the centre mostly near Dehradun, Joshimath and Almora were encouraging. Though the plant was grown on 60–70 hectares initially, plans are now being mapped to scale up cultivation to 1,000 hectares—500 hectares each in Joshimath and Takula.
"In the water scarce areas, rainwater harvesting converted to drip irrigation, helped turn the barren dry lands cultivable for the Bulgarian rose. One hectare can yield 700–800 grams of rose oil, which is about Rs 8 lakh. If the farmers sustain for a few initial years, this could be most lucrative crop for them in the region," he added.
Besides oil, this species of rose can be used to make rose water, perfumes, and flavouring agents. "The demand for these products often remain high but India has not been able to contribute because the production remains negligible. If Uttarakhand can make use of this gap, it can fill its coffers, farmers could become self sufficient and it could generate employment opportunities for the people in the state," Chauhan assertively stated.
The farmers who would benefit from this crop are mostly the small landholders. "Local perfume units can be set up. We have been encouraging farmers to take up aroma farming for the last seven to eight years, and the response has been phenomenal,” he added.
The Aromatic Plant Centre is planning to have one lakh saplings, maybe it will do so annually, with the goal of creating aroma valleys that can draw tourists. “Large tracts of rose gardens would fill the valley and spread the fragrance. Tourists will love to visit the flower farms. The government can make it a part of promoting rural tourism,” Chauhan exhorted.
In a bid to transform the farming scenario by growing Bulgarian rose valleys, the Uttarakhand government has come up with the ‘Mehak Kranti Policy’, awaiting cabinet approval. The policy envisages providing subsidies, loans, and infrastructure support to help farmers opt for aroma farming and attract private investment.
"Farming on barren land will need more investment in the beginning," Chauhan warned, adding, "The government is willing to come to the rescue of farmers by way of loans and subsidies. So farmers must not lose the opportunity," he added.
The centre has been creating awareness about aroma farming among the farmers for the last few years. "Since the experimentation on small scale is giving them encouraging results, I am sure the farmers would soon take to cultivating Bulgarian rose in a big way and rise to prosperity," he hoped.
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