Ladakh dispatches first consignment of Liliums flowers to markets

Ladakh took a major step toward a new, sustainable livelihood through commercial floriculture by dispatching its first air consignment of exquisite, Ladakh-grown Lilium flowers to national flower markets on Monday.

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena flagged off the first consignment of 15,000 “A-grade” Lilium stems at the KBR Airport, Leh, marking a historic initiative towards establishing new economic opportunities and entrepreneurship in Ladakh.

The Lieutenant Governor also presented bouquets of Ladakh-grown Liliums to each of the crew members, as a symbolic gesture of this initiative.”A-grade” Liliums refer to the flower stems with 4-5 buds that fetch a premium price. The first consignment comprises red, pink, white, yellow and orange colours – all cultivated at an altitude of 10,600 feet, at the world’s highest-altitude flower field in Leh. These flowers, with a shelf life of 5-7 days, will be sold in various domestic markets, primarily Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh.

LG Saxena termed the initiative “historic” and said floriculture has emerged as a powerful economic tool for creating alternate sustainable livelihood opportunities in Ladakh, inspired by PM NarendraModi’s vision of financial sustainability of farmers and youth, through diversification of agriculture.

To begin with, 15 local women have been engaged in cutting, sorting and packaging of the Liliums at these flower fields, at a daily wage of `900 per person. A local young qualified Botanist has been given the task of marketing these flowers to the national markets. Liliums are premium cut flowers highly sought after in the floral and hospitality industries, fetching Rs 150 to Rs 200 per stem in domestic retail markets.

“This first-of-its-kind high-altitude commercial floriculture project in Ladakh represents a major agricultural and visual shift for the region, which has been identified by its rugged mountains and barren landscapes.

Building on the success of the pilot project at Leh, the Lieutenant Governor has further directed the Deputy Commissioners of the other six districts to replicate the model of high-value floriculture in their respective areas. The Deputy Commissioners of Kargil, Drass, Sham, Changthang and Zanskar have been directed to identify at least 20 acres of land in each district for developing flower fields. The initiative envisages eventually bringing at least 200 acres of land under high-value flower cultivation by next year, creating colourful stretches of Lilium and other high-value flowers across Ladakh’s otherwise rugged landscape.

Notably, the Lilium flower field in Leh, with more than 25 lakh flowers, was developed and made ready within just two months, with continuous guidance and intervention from LG Saxena. After opening to the public on 17 September 2026, the flower field has received an overwhelming response, with hundreds of visitors seeing the flowers every day.