SRINAGAR: Ladakh on Tuesday dispatched its first commercial air consignment of locally grown Lilium flowers to national markets, with Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena flagging off 15,000 A-grade stems from KBR Airport in Leh as the administration seeks to develop floriculture as a new livelihood and entrepreneurship avenue.
The flowers, cultivated at an altitude of 10,600 feet, will be marketed primarily in Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh. The consignment includes red, pink, white, yellow and orange Liliums, which have a stated shelf life of five to seven days.
A-grade Lilium stems, defined as those carrying four to five buds, command premium prices. The administration said the flowers can fetch between Rs 150 and Rs 200 per stem in domestic retail markets, particularly in the floral and hospitality sectors.
The first consignment marks the commercial launch of a high-altitude floriculture project developed in Leh, where more than 25 lakh Lilium flowers have been cultivated.
The project has also generated local employment. Fifteen women have been engaged in cutting, sorting and packaging the flowers at a daily wage of Rs 900 each. A locally based qualified botanist has been assigned responsibility for marketing the flowers in national markets.
Saxena described the initiative as a “historic” step towards developing alternative and sustainable livelihoods in Ladakh through agricultural diversification. He said the project could contribute to improving the socio-economic prospects of local people while supporting entrepreneurship and eco-tourism.
The Leh flower field was developed within 60 days. Its foundation was laid on June 22, 2026, plantation began on July 16, and the facility was inaugurated on September 17. The first commercial consignment was dispatched on September 29.
The administration said the flower field has attracted hundreds of visitors daily since it was opened to the public on September 17.
Following the pilot project’s development in Leh, the Lieutenant Governor has directed the Deputy Commissioners of the other six districts to replicate the high-value floriculture model.
Deputy Commissioners of Kargil, Drass, Sham, Changthang and Zanskar have been asked to identify at least 20 acres of land each for flower cultivation. The initiative envisages bringing at least 200 acres under high-value flower cultivation by next year, according to the administration.
The expansion plan includes Liliums and other high-value flowers and is intended to create additional agricultural livelihood opportunities while diversifying Ladakh’s traditionally limited cultivation base.
While flagging off the consignment, Saxena said the project represented a shift from Ladakh’s established agricultural landscape and described the flowering fields as an opportunity to combine commercial agriculture with tourism.
The Lieutenant Governor also presented bouquets of Ladakh-grown Liliums to the crew members of the aircraft carrying the first consignment.
