Faiza Tehseen

Promotion of lavender farming in Pakistan can not only empower the farmers but also uplift the small scale and cottage industries, opined Dr. Riffat Tahira, Principal Scientific Officer and program leader of the National Medicinal, Aromatic, and Herbs Program of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), while talking to WealthPK. The lavender plant can deodorise the environment. It is used in the manufacture of medicines to cure anxiety, allergy, and migraine. Its essential oil is used in air fresheners, cleaning agents like soaps and detergents, perfumery and personal care products. The first fragrance notes of a number of famous perfumes and Eau De Toilette are of lavender. She said apart from flowers, the essential oil and other factors are also extracted from the plant leaves. While the leaves are rich in oil, the flowers keep a minute quantity that cannot be extracted. Lavender is an evergreen Mediterranean plant and, in this climate, the flowers keep sufficient essential oils. However, in some climates, the plant grows shoots but no flowering occurs.

The plant gets ready in at least three months for leaf harvesting. The leaves keep regrowing every three months for harvesting. Dr Riffat said, “From Feb to March (spring season in Pakistan), the plant flourishes and a good outcrop can be obtained from September to October. In winter, (if not exposed to frost), it can be harvested. In monsoon/rainy season, foliage harvesting should be avoided. The plant gets sensitive and burns when water touches the cropped place. Sometimes, the whole field gets spoiled in this way. Presence of Jasmine or jasminol compounds causes this sensitivity”. Potohar, Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan, and AJK can be suitable for growing lavender. Rainfall is good in these areas and water does not retain but trickles down. The quantity of essential oil in leaves may vary from place to place and season to season. Talking to WealthPK, Assistant Director of Panjab Agriculture Department Muhammad Naveed said, “A lot of work needs to be done concerning lavender cultivation in Pakistan. It is wild in some areas of Balochistan. From environmental point of view, lavender is good for bee-keeping.  It also attracts pollinators, controls erosion and is used for landscaping.”

‘Lavandula angustifolia’ is considered a good variety. It needs cold but dry weather, and 28⁰C to maximum 30⁰C temperature is considered ideal for its farming. Talking to WealthPK, Associate Professor of Botany and lavender farmer Irfan Mehmood said he had been farming lavender in Rawalakot, AJK since 2013. The crop is scattered over 15 Kanals. From farming to value addition, the entire process is performed on the farm. He said, “Lavender is a bushy plant that reaches the maximum height of three feet. The plant needs a long photoperiod and is tolerant to drought. The cuttings are planted in February, July, and August and the plant crops from May through June.” Irfan said different products from lavender, including herbal tea, shampoo, perfume, and essential oil, are prepared on the farm. To extract 1ml essential oil, about 30 grams of flowers are required. A 5ml bottle of lavender is sold at PKR2,000 to PKR2,500.  The plant leaves are also used in the preparation of herbal tea. The government should focus on commercial farming of the plant to strengthen the small industries, he added.

Credit: INP-WealthPk