SRINAGAR: An expert lecture on Commercial Floriculture was held in the Hall of Vice Chancellor’s Secretariat at the SKUAST-K in which Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganie, Prof. A K Singh, formerly Vice Chancellor, Agriculture University, Bihar and Prof. Jawaharlal, Director Extension, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Director Extension and Director Research, SKUAST-K, scientists of the Floriculture and representatives from Directorate of Agriculture participated. The Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganie gave the scenario of the potential of Floriculture in Jammu & Kashmir. Citing examples of Flora Holland, Netherlands he appraised the scientists and participants how the Netherlands has become major flower auction and business center in the world and keeping the geo-climatic conditions of the Kashmir Valley under consideration we too take a lead in the Commercial Floriculture and establishing linkages with the international market.
Prof. A K Singh expressed his satisfaction over the close cooperation of the Directorate of Agriculture, Govt of Jammu & Kashmir with the SKUAST-K and desired such a strong bond need to be established by the different Agriculture Universities with their line development departments and hoped this bond becomes further stronger in days to come in the larger benefits of the Government, University and Farmers. Prof. Jawarharlal, a Floriculturist of national and international repute shared the details of the Floriculture in Tamil Naidu and appraised the house how his state rated number one in the country for growing Marigold, Jasmine, Corronation, Lilleum. Seeing the potential of Floriculture Business people in the State of Tamil Naidu and Karnataka come forward to invest huge money in the sector. Their demand and supply curve is steady and did not get effected during the Corona scare. He added that the most of the buyers are in Banglore but on videos they make the business with Tamil Naidu as the market have a strong linkages with the buyers. He advised the scientists of the Floriculture that they must develop a varieties of the bulbous flowers and then can go for the propagation of these bulbs at reduced costs to the farmers and gave the details as to how prevent loses due to diseases and unhealthy bulbs.
Prof. Dil Mohammad Makhdoomi, Director Extension, SKUAST-K pointed out the potential areas of Floriculture having the market in Valley and outside including cut flowers production in open field and protected conditions loose flowers and land-scaping. Development of garden, parks, Govt and private houses, highways, turf production, seed production and multiplication, dry flower technology and nurseries. He assured the house that the Directorate of Extension will held training programmes for Floriculture farmers of the valley, create linkages with fungicides and packaging industries. The University will be providing technical guidance to the farmers from planting to post harvest management. Later a healthy and brain storming interactions were made by the scientists and representatives of the development department with the expert and many fruitful outcomes were recorded.

KR Desk