Srinagar, Apr 10 (KNO): In a significant step towards strengthening the Floriculture sector and promoting sustainable livelihoods in the Kashmir Valley, Shakeel ur Rehman, Director Floriculture, Kashmir, convened an interactive session with Floriculture growers and entrepreneurs at the Malis Training School, Rajbagh, Srinagar.
The event saw enthusiastic participation from a large number of growers and entrepreneurs representing all ten districts of the Kashmir division, offering them a vital platform to exchange experiences, discuss challenges, and propose innovative ideas for advancing the sector, a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Highlighting the potential of Floriculture in transforming the economic landscape of Kashmir, Shakeel ur Rehman emphasized the department’s unwavering commitment to fostering growth in this vibrant industry. “Our vision is to position Floriculture as an employment generation and livelihood enhancement enterprise across the Kashmir division.
By empowering growers and entrepreneurs with modern techniques and robust support systems, we aim to unlock new avenues of prosperity while showcasing the Valley’s floral potential on a commercial scale,” he remarked.
To realize this vision, the department has finalized an ambitious Rs. 8 crore action plan under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) for the year 2025-26. This initiative is designed to bolster commercial floriculture by enhancing infrastructure for protected cultivation, water resources, providing high-value plant material, establishing ornamental nurseries, vermicompost units, and aromatic plant cultivation projects.
Additionally, a Rs. 1.05 cr action plan under the CSS Agriculture extension (ATMA) 2025-26 has been proposed to facilitate training programs, exposure visits, demonstrations, capacity-building initiatives, and Kisan Gosthies, ensuring growers are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills.
During the session, participants were sensitized to the advantages of cultivating high-value crops under controlled conditions and adopting scientific practices such as micro-irrigation, fertigation, nutrient management, and efficient post-harvest techniques like sorting, packaging, and branding.
Shakeel ul Rehman urged growers and entrepreneurs to embrace innovation, diversify their product offerings, and leverage modern farming methods to enhance competitiveness in the market.
“The future of floriculture in Kashmir lies in blending tradition with technology. By adopting advanced cultivation practices and focusing on value addition, we can elevate Kashmiri flowers and aromatic products to national and global markets,” he added.
The Director also issued directives to departmental officers to intensify outreach efforts, including weekly awareness programs, exposure visits to progressive grower units, and hands-on training sessions these initiatives will focus on critical areas such as nursery management, turf (lawn grass) production, cultivation of in-demand cut flowers, harvesting techniques, and the packaging and branding of aromatic oils—key drivers of commercial success in the floriculture industry.
In order to bridge the gap between the growers and the market, the Director Floriculture Kashmir asserted that the department of Floriculture Kashmir would arrange a Buyer –seller meet to facilitate marketing linkage of the floriculture produce and value additions.
Today’s interaction programme marks a promising step towards realizing that potential, fostering a collaborative ecosystem where growers, entrepreneurs, and the department work hand in hand for a flourishing future Deputy Director Floriculture Kashmir, Deputy Director Central , District Floriculture Officers and Assistant Floriculture officers of department of Floriculture Kashmir were present during the interaction programme—(KNO)