The Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal today kick-started the sale of Winter flower seedlings (Hybrid, Open pollinated) at Floriculture nursery Lalmandi Srinagar. Director inspected different sections/ Hi Tech Poly houses of the floriculture nursery and interacted with the concerned technical experts.
After initiating the proceedings, sharing his views, Director said that the department has introduced many initiatives to extend the activities under floriculture development scheme. Iqbal said home gardening is a new emerging trend in Kashmir and landscape gardening is now an integral part of home gardening.
The department is endeavouring to develop organised commercial floriculture units which in turn will help in entrepreneurship development and livelihood security aiming youth, small land holding farmers, he added.Owing to the geo climatic conditions of the region and being one of the top tourist destinations in the country cut flowers, ornamental and aromatic floriculture has huge potential of employment generation, he said and added.
Director asked the concerned officers to organise awareness/ training programs for farmers, educated youth, so that they could get employment opportunities in Floriculture activities.