Altaf Bukhari inaugurates floriculture workshop Says floral industry has vast potential for employment generation
Jammu,March 16, 2015-CNS:-Highlighting the scope of floriculture, the Minister for Public Works, Floriculture and Gardens, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari has said that Government would initiate necessary measures to promote this sector. He underscored the need for providing technical guidance to the farmers for cultivation of high yielding flowers for better marketing.
Inaugurating one day State level workshop here today, the Minister said that floral industry has an immense potential for employment generation and earning foreign exchange. He said present day floral industry is a dynamic, fast growing industry, which has achieved significant growth rate. He said Jammu is emerging as significant player of this booming industry. He stressed on harnessing the state’s potential in the field to meet the demand of the flowers outside the state.
The one day workshop was organised by Floriculture Department to familiarize the farmers about latest techniques. About 400 farmers from various areas of the State participated in the workshop wherein the subject experts delivered lectures and educated the farmers about the latest techniques of flower cultivation and their preservation.
The Minister urged the farmers to take the full benefits of the various centrally sponsored schemes for promotion of floriculture in view of varied agro climatic conditions of all the three divisions of the state. He also asked the farming community to adopt protected cultivation and micro irrigation and laid stress on promotion of bulb & flower seed production in the State.
The Minister underscored the need for organising more such workshops for the benefit of the farmers and asked the experts of the department to work at ground level for the growth of this industry in the State.
The Commissioner/Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon highlighted the various activities of the department.
The Director Floriculture Jammu and Kashmir Divisions on the occasion threw detailed light on the activities taken up for development of floriculture in the State.
Meanwhile, the Minister also went around the exhibition, set up by floriculture and horticulture Departments in joint collaboration. In the exhibition varied quality of flowers, vegetables, fruits, dry fruits, honey, and fish fillet, horticulture inputs and handloom products were the main attraction.
The minister took keen interest in the exhibits and appreciated the organisers for putting up such an exhibition.
