Profits bloom for Jammu farmers as they take to flower cultivation

Srinagar, January 28

Farmers in large numbers are being trained during workshops organised by the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, in planting high-yielding marigold varieties. Around 350 farmers from different regions of Jammu have already received training in utilising fresh and dry flowers through various value-added technologies.

Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, under the initiative of CSIR Floriculture Mission, has organised workshops on scientific and innovative crop production and management technologies in commercial floriculture for the farmers of Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts of J&K.

Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR IIIM, Jammu, said significant work being done under the Mission over the past three years has given a fillip to the commercial floriculture sector in the UT, which has led to an increased income generation for farmers and livelihood opportunities.

He said efforts made by the government have amplified the opportunities in commercial floriculture for the creation of startups and agri-based enterprises. “We are striving to enhance the proportion of agritech startups in the national startup ecosystem,” he said.

“We are making concerted efforts to enhance the skill of the farmers, florists, nursery producers and other stakeholders to ensure their prosperity and sustainable growth of the floriculture sector in this unique region,” he added.

Dr Shahid Rasool, nodal scientist, said the Mission is among many of the agri-industry-oriented, innovation-driven initiatives launched by the CSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology, for the inclusive economic prosperity of small and marginal farmers and sustainable development of floriculture sector.

“In J&K, the activities undertaken in the Mission had a significant impact in commercial floriculture farming through area expansion and production of multiple types of ornamentals, cut and loose flower varieties,” said Rasool.

“Efforts are being made to devise the crop production calendar in a manner that different flowers produced by the farmers are available round the year, leveraging the variability in the agro-climatic conditions of the UT to tap the huge market size for flowers that are mostly utilised as religious offerings besides their use for other aesthetic and ornamental purposes,” he added.