Jammu : With the objective of promoting agricultural diversification and encouraging farmers to adopt profitable alternatives to traditional farming, the Department of Floriculture, Parks and Gardens, Jammu, Friday organised a one-day district-level event on Commercial Floriculture here at the Amphitheatre, Bagh-e-Bahu. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from around 200 farmers from different parts of the district.
The programme sensitised farmers to modern floriculture techniques, emerging market opportunities and various government schemes supporting commercial flower cultivation. Technical sessions and exhibition stalls set up by the Department of Floriculture and allied departments showcased different floriculture crops, improved cultivation practices and support initiatives available to farmers.
Director Floriculture, Parks and Gardens Jammu Nagendra Singh Jamwal, who was the Chief Guest, while addressing the gathering, appreciated the initiative of bringing farmers and experts together on a common platform. He emphasised that commercial floriculture offers considerable potential for agricultural diversification and enhancement of farmers’ income, particularly in areas with suitable agro-climatic conditions. He exhorted farmers to adopt scientific and modern cultivation practices to improve productivity, flower quality and profitability.
During the technical sessions, experts from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu) and other agricultural institutions shared their expertise on various aspects of commercial floriculture. Chief Scientist and Head, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Jammu Dr. Puneet Choudhary elaborated on scientific and integrated approaches to floriculture cultivation. Joint Director Floriculture, Parks and Gardens, Jammu Vikrant Sharma highlighted the growing market demand for flowers and the emerging opportunities in the floriculture sector.
Associate Professors in Floriculture at SKUAST-Jammu Dr.Arvinder Singh and Dr.Nomita Laishram delivered technical lectures on the cultivation and management of different floriculture crops, emphasising improved production practices and scientific crop management for better yields and quality.
Senior Scientist (Entomology), KVK Samba Dr. Saurav Gupta and Senior Scientist (Plant Pathology) Dr.Muneeshwar Sharma discussed integrated pest and disease management in floriculture crops. They emphasised the importance of timely identification, prevention and scientific management of pests and diseases to minimise crop losses and maintain flower quality. Mohan Singh, noted Dogri Writer and Padamshri Awardee, who was the guest of honour, highlighted the challenges to farming in the Jammu region through his poetry.
Additionally, the artists of the Cultural Wing of Department of Information and Public Relations Jammu presented a cultural programme.
The programme was attended by Deputy Director Sunil Singh; Deputy Director (P&S) Vijay Kumar and Accounts Officer Kuldeep Kumar.
Other officials present included Ishtiaq Ahmed, Shoukat Ali, Purnima Bajala, Atul Sharma, Lakshmi, Sanjeev Kumar and Lalita Kumari, besides other participants and officials.
Appreciation certificates were also presented to Progressive Farmers by the Director in recognition of their participation and contribution to the successful conduct of the programme.
