RAJKOT: If ‘Khushboo Gujarat ki’ campaign helped attract tourists in hordes, the fragrance from the fields of Kutch has started drawing perfume makers in large numbers to the arid district!
After tasting success with dragon fruit, farmers in the district are now making a killing with cultivation of palmarosa grass, which is widely used as a natural ingredient in perfumes, incense sticks and food flavours.
The farmers smelt an opportunity in this aromatic cash crop introduced to them by the Central Institute of Medicinal and & Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), the premier plant research laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The cultivation which began on 200 acres in 2016 has now reached 1,500 acres as the weather and soil of Kutch are suitable for this grass.
Urmil Gala from Mundra taluka from Mumbai has taken to farming and handed over his business of overseas education consultancy to his wife. “I started with cultivating palmarosa on four acres of land in 2016. Today, I grow the grass on 120 acres. The success of this aromatic crop has made a farmer.”
Along with cultivation, farmers were trained in extracting oil from this grass. Cultivators in Mundra, Rapar, Mandvi and Nakhatrana talukas made nearly 15 tonnes of oil every year.
The buyers include top international fragrance and flavour companies like Switzerland's Firmenich and Givaudan, New York’s International Fragrance and Flavours Inc and Germany’s Symrise along with India’s industrial perfume maker Kelkar Group, said sources.
Sanjay Kumar, senior principal scientist at CIMAP who was tasked with CSIR’s ‘Aroma Mission’ said, “The oil extracted from this grass is the substitute for rose, so it’s widely used in cosmetics industry. The oil is used in soaps, fragrances, chocolate and by some pharma firms too. We are expanding our training to farmers of Saurashtra now.” Kamlesh Shah, a Mumbai-based businessman and former general secretary of Fragrance and Flavors Association of India (FAFAI), has been purchasing palmarosa grass oil from Kutch farmers.
“Kutch’s oil is 5% cheaper than other states. It’s a natural ingredient for perfume and use of synthetic chemicals can be avoided. We purchase this oil from farmers and provide the same quality oil throughout the year to branded perfume makers,” said Shah who is planning to set up an oil godown in Wankaner.
Interestingly, during winter, farmers don’t get productive yield, but the grass is not rendered useless as it becomes dormant, say scientists.