Aroma Mission in Northeast

The Aroma Mission gaining momentum in the Northeast region and opening new doors of opportunity for farmers is good news. Marketing and branding will play a crucial role in scaling up production of natural fragrant raw material to the country’s aroma industry. The CSIR-Aroma Mission implemented by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in all the Northeastern states from 2017 has so far brought more than 3,000 hectares under aromatic crop cultivation. The CSIR-Aroma Mission in Jammu and Kashmir is turning Lavender cultivation there under the Mission into a game-changing revolution in the indigenous crop-based economy popularly known as the “Purple Revolution”, drawing the attention of the top brands in the aroma industry. The North East Aroma Conclave 2025, held under the aegis of the CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST) in Jorhat in January, triggered the hope for the CSIR-Aroma Mission mirroring the Purple Revolution in the region. The conclave brought together over 20 aromatic industries and about 180 aromatic crop farmers from across the region and led to the finalisation of an effective buyback mechanism, strengthening farmer-industry partnerships and ensuring stable market access for farmers as well as a source of reliable raw materials for the industries. Information provided by the central government to the parliament shows that CSIR-NEIST has actively facilitated linkages between farmers and industries, ensuring better market access and creating a sustainable farm-to-industry ecosystem in the Northeast. So far, the CSIR-NEIST has roped in ten different aromatic industries to procure the essential oils and other products of the aroma mission directly from the farmers, eliminating the middleman in the chain. A total of 39 essential oil distillation units have been provided to farmers, self-help groups and farmer producer companies on a cluster basis to support value addition and improve livelihood opportunities. Some other key achievements under the mission in the region are the installation of 90 essential oil distillation units across the region to support value addition at the local level and bridging the gap between farm production and industry requirements; empowering 25 SHGs and FPCs to engage in entrepreneurship, processing and marketing of aromatic products through supply of planting material and infrastructure support; and the supply of 1.51 crore quality planting material of various targeted crops, including lemongrass, Java citronella, patchouli, Kaempferia galanga, agarwood, chamomile, geranium, rosemary and lavender. The CSIR-NEIST successfully developing, registering, and commercialising eight high-yielding varieties of targeted aromatic crops which are specifically designed to thrive in the agro-climatic conditions of the region and have played a significant role in enhancing farmers’ income, promoting sustainable agriculture, and strengthening the aromatic crop value chain in the region is another significant milestone in scientific research under the Mission which is commendable. The government claims that the cultivation of high-yielding varieties and value addition through essential oil production has resulted in enhanced income levels for farmers, providing them with an economically viable alternative to traditional crops like rice. The planting material is provided to farmers free of cost along with technical know-how on cultivation, post-harvest, and on-the-farm processing under the mission which incentivises area expansion. However, market accessibility at the farm gate level plays a crucial role in motivating more farmers to transition to an alternative crop. Rising demand for natural fragrance and flavours has driven a robust growth of India’s Aroma Industry, which makes aromatic crop cultivation and value addition sustainable and commercially viable. The aromatic crop farmers have so far produced about 5,000 tonnes of essential oil worth Rs 500 crore under the interventions of the CSIR-Aroma Mission for the Indian Aroma Industry, which is indicative of the economic impact of the mission. Increasing disposable income of the Indian middle class and aggressive brand marketing have pushed the demand for affordable perfumes, deodorants, enhanced flavour in confectionery, ice creams, and beverages with natural extracts, and farmers in the region being aware of this growing market demand can create a rippling effect of aromatic crop production by progressive farmers. Policy pushes by the states in the region are crucial. The Assam Agarwood Promotion Policy 2020, notified by the state government to support Agar cultivation, has unlocked opportunities of making the state a global hub for Agar oil production. The awareness level among the farmers and youth of the region about the huge opportunities of aromatic crop cultivation and value addition is still quite low, but steady expansion of area under different aromatic crops in the region is the silver lining. Instead of leaving the responsibility of building awareness to CSIR-NEIST and government departments, local bodies, NGOs, youth organisations, and social institutions can collaborate with CSIR-NEIST and stakeholders in the aroma industry to raise the awareness level. The local farmers leveraging the agro-climatic advantage of growing the targeted high-yielding varieties will lead to a boost in production. States supporting the establishment of more distillation units closer to farm fields will help farmers and local entrepreneurs unlock the untapped potential of aromatic crops in the Northeast.