CSIR-IIIM Field Station Doda in collaboration with Department of Agriculture and Floriculture Doda organized an awareness and planting material distribution programme under CSIR Floriculture Mission at Community Hall Doda and Bhaderwah today which was attended by progressive farmers, entrepreneurs, florist nursery growers from different parts of District Doda.
Farmers across different areas of Doda District converged to participate in the programme wherein they were informed about the various verticals of the Mission and the activities being carried out for enhancing the farm profitability and farmer’s income, gainful livelihood generation and entrepreneurship development through production and multiplication of different cut flower cultivars.
The awareness cum distribution programme was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Doda Vishesh Mahajan in presence of CAO Doda Anil Gupta, AD Floriculture Doda Pawan Kumar, Nodal Scientist CSIR IIIM Shahid Rasool, and members of Kisan Advisory board Tejinder Singh and Hind Bhushan.
On the occasion 56 farmers were provided the quality planting material of different cultivars of Ilium and Gladiolus at Community Hall Doda. And more than 150 farmers and florists were provided Marigold planting material at Community Hall Bhaderwah. Farmers and florists present at the event thanked and appreciated the initiative and outreach under CSIR Floriculture Mission for development of highly remunerative Floriculture sector in J&K.
DC while addressing the farmers has urged to make the Doda a hub of flower market and explore the great potential of the district in this field to earn a better livelihood with dignity. He asked the department for handholding to the farmers, florists and entrepreneurs by providing them quality planting material and technical advice for cultivation, production, post harvest technologies, and value addition technologies.
Dr Shahid Rasool, Nodal Scientist Floriculture Mission while interacting with the participants informed that the activities under the Mission in J&K envisage for scalable and sustainable production of high in demand cut and loose flowers, leveraging the suitability of diverse agro-climatic conditions and edaphic factors.
