Jammu, 1^st September 2021: Skill development program on “Cultivation, Processing, Value Addition and Marketing of high value industrial Aromatic crops” for farmers of Udhampur district was organized by CSIR Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (CSIR-IIIM) under CSIR-Aroma Mission Phase-2 on 1^st September 2021 at Zonal Agriculture Office, Tikri, Udhampur. More than 100 farmers, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders from different areas of Udhampur participated in this program.

Chief Guest of the program Smt. Indu Kanwal Chib, District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, motivated female farmers to cultivate Lemongrass and make value-added products like soaps, perfumes, agarbatti at the local level to enhance their income. She acknowledged the support of CSIR-IIIM Jammu for providing End-to-End technology and free planting material of Lemongrass and Rosagrass to the farmers through the Udhampur Agriculture Department.

Earlier, Dr. Sumeet Gairola, Nodal Scientist, CSIR-Aroma Mission (CSIR-IIIM), gave a detailed introduction of the different verticals of the CSIR-Aroma Mission Project. On behalf of Dr. D. Srinivasa Reddy, Director, IIIM Jammu, he assured farmers and district administration that CSIR-IIIM would provide all the necessary technical knowledge, certified planting material, and advanced skills development training on aromatic crops to the farmers and young entrepreneurs of the region. Shri. Subhash Chandra Sharma, Chief Agriculture Officer, Udhampur, informed farmers about various schemes and activities of the Agriculture Department in the district.

Dr. Rajendra Bhanwaria, Scientist CSIR-IIIM Jammu thanked Udhampur Agriculture Department, district administration, farmers, and other participants. He assured that under CSIR-Aroma Mission, efforts would be made to connect farmers with the Aroma Industry. Dr. V.P. Rahul, Scientist CSIR-IIIM, conducted the program and motivated farmers by giving examples of numerous progressive farmers growing aromatic crops all across India under the CSIR-Aroma Mission. Dr. Sabha Jeet, Scientist CSIR-IIIM, gave technical information about the cultivation practices of Lemongrass and other aromatic crops, which can be game-changing crops for the farmers of the Udhmpur district. Rajendra Gochar, Technical Officer, CSIR-IIIM, discussed value addition and entrepreneurship opportunities in the aroma sector.

The progressive farmers and field staff of the Agriculture Department from the Udhampur district were felicitated in the program. Progressive farmers Baldev Singh (Lali), Yashpal Sharma (Phallata), Jyoti Devi (Lehnu), and Himmat Singh (Ludarmani) were also felicitated. The program was attended by Nisha Sharma, Ashu Sharma, Arjun Singh, Rita Devi, Lalita Devi, officers of the Agriculture Department, and others.