Could lavender be grown commercially in the Solomon Islands and lavender oil become a valuable export commodity?
The Solomon Islands has been showing some potential with cultivating and marketing kava as a cash crop and a commercial pineapple enterprise is soon set to benefit the community in the Bina Harbour area.
I have previously offered suggestions about the possibility of commercially growing and marketing ginger, vanilla, taro, cassava, tomatoes, strawberries, bananas (sold as chips) and even fresh orchids, but never considered the possibilities that might exist from cultivating lavender for its oil content.
The lavender species prefers rather dry climates, little humidity and light well drained soil. Too much water and the plants would fail to grow successfully.
There are places, however, where commercial lavender production is big business, Texas in the United States, being just one such place – and Texas most certainly does not have the climate conditions lavender plants best like.
Perhaps, there might be some interest generated as an outcome of this letter either by the Solomon Islands government, or by individual land owners who might see the potential of growing lavender in view of the growing demand on international markets for its oil.
In the Global Essential Oil market lavender oil is in “lucrative demand” and reportedly returning good prices for producers.
If technical advice was needed onstarting and successfully managing lavender on a commercial basis I feel sure help would be forthcoming from Australia, or maybe from Israel that has had major success with crop cultivation in difficult conditions.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
