Excelsior Correspondent
BHADERWAH, Aug 4: CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu started 5-day ‘Aroma Festival’ here today.
The festival was inaugurated by Major General GS Jamwal (Retd) in the presence of Dr Ram Vishwakarma, Director and other senior scientists of IIIM, Jammu.
The festival is aimed at providing alternate cultivation material to the farmers of Bhaderwah, potential entrepreneurs and rural backward population of the area to create self employment and additional income from the waste and rain-fed land in the district Doda and surrounding areas.
In his address to the jam packed audience consisting Government officials, NGOs, farmers, entrepreneurs and students, Jamwal said scientists of IIIM have gene bank of many medicinal and aromatic plants suitable for cultivation in this region which can have positive impact on the economy of the region.
Dr Ram Vishwakarma, Director IIIM, assured that the interested farmers shall be provided quality planting materials of the specific crops for cultivation in this region and help in marketing of the oils and their value added products through the traders sitting in other parts of the country or abroad.
He said that, he has already taken up the issues of establishing a plant resource centre in district Doda, so that the planting material required by the farmers can be raised in this centre.
Earlier during the function, presentations on various topics were made by various scientists of the institute including Dr RK Raina, Dr YS Bedi and Dr Suresh Chandra.
As a part of the festival, more than 20 stalls displaying various technologies, available value added products and potential products which have tremendous marketing potential, were exhibited by IIIM Jammu, State Horticulture, Floriculture, Agriculture, Indian Systems of Medicine, Department of Health, other CSIR laboratories, private entrepreneurs, NGOs and progressive farmers.
Dr Narendra Kumar presented the vote of thanks while as BS Jamwal conducted the proceeding of the programme.
Follow our WhatsApp channel