Excelsior Correspondent
BHADERWAH, Aug 23: CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Ministry of Science and Technology, organised an Interactive Workshop on Challenges, Interventions and Opportunities for the farmers of Bhadarwah under CSIR Floriculture Mission, here today.
The workshop was primarily aimed at Capacity Building, value addition and post-harvest management of high-value floricultural crops as a part of CSIR Floriculture Mission.
Chief guest, DDC Chairman Doda Dhananter Singh Kotwal along with guests of honour Vice Chairperson Sangeeta Rani Bhagat and DC Doda Vishesh Paul Mahajan inaugurated the workshop.
In his inaugural address, Dr Shahid Rasool Mian-Khel Nodal Scientist CSIR Floriculture Mission said: “To fulfill the clarion call of Prime Minister to double the income of Farmers, CSIR-IIIM under it’s Floriculture Mission has organised the workshop at Bhadarwah – which has immense potential in Floriculture, especially cut flowers and aromatic plants.”
In the technical session of the programme, Dr Iqra Farooq, Project Associate, CSIR-Floriculture Mission, gave a detailed presentation on agrotechnologies of protected and open cultivated commercial cut floricultural crops.
DC Doda Vishesh Paul Mahajan, while addressing the farmers said: “Let us take the pledge today to make Bhadarwah a shinning success story in the field of Floriculture as we have already proved by successfully cultivating aromatic plants and this Valley in a short span of time has emerged as the capital of lavender in India.”
Maintaining that Floriculture is the next big thing in India, he hoped that CSIR would continue to motivate and impart training to the farmers in length and breadth of the district to encourage them to shift from their normal cropping patterns and increase their income in a big way.
In Bhadarwah alone, 1000 farmers have been growing marigold by shifting from traditional maize cultivation and thereby meeting the demand of the flower in temples of Jammu, Vaishno Devi Katra and Punjab state during summer months (May to September) when supply of Marigold dries up from the plains of Jammu and Punjab due to harsh weather.
Later in the farmers’ interaction session, National Award winning flower Grower Hind Bhushan of Gajoth appreciated the efforts of CSIR-IIIM. The challenges faced by the flower growers of the region for marketing were also discussed and addressed.
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