Rising Kashmir’s City correspondent Saba Khan spoke to Dr Qazi Altaf Hussain, Scientist (Sr scale) division of Floriculture & Landscape Architecture, FOH, SKUAST-K Shalimar to understand the diversity in the floriculture field.

Can floriculture be adopted as a profession just like farming?

Yes, floriculture is the best sector to generate revenue. We have fields of crops, where our farmers earn, let’s say 1 lakh rupees from his piece of land. I assure you if the same farmer does use the same land for floriculture purposes, he can even earn 10 lakh rupees, that is the potential of floriculture.

As an expert, how do you see the prospects of floriculture?  

This field has a very vast scope and there are no limits in the field. If done professionally and in scientific ways, we can supply flowers to Dubai, Russia and other foreign countries.

To boost the floriculture industry, we need to develop marketing strategies. We need to upgrade infrastructure like cold chains and other things. Also, the government should pin in and should provide spaces for the Kashmiri floricultures in other states.  

Growing flower nurseries can also generate revenue. Do you think people do it on commercial lines?  

As far as nurseries are concerned, there is good scope of revenue generation. But you just need to take an initiative to start a flower nursery. If we talk about other nurseries here, it takes a long time till the crops are prepared for selling purposes. In these flower nurseries, one can sell flowers every year worth lakhs that too in a very little time.

Yes, people don’t go for it on a commercial scale as they should do it. You can’t imagine that, despite having more profit, people are not growing flower nurseries.

Can our farmers export the products? Do they have that much marketing exposure?  

Our farmers do not have good marketing channels and we even do not have a local market here. Surely, they don’t have that much exposure yet.  

How vibrant is the floriculture department?

Floriculture is a small department, and has a huge dearth of manpower. Its officials are confined in maintenance of the gardens. They are unable to check the commercial activities. Each zone has just 2-3 employees, so they are unable to cater to the load. If you see the agriculture department, every zone has 5-10 employees.

This department needs a good amount of manpower so that it can function smoothly and introduce new things. As I already said, floriculture has vast potential and can boost the economy without any doubt. When any department lacks manpower, how can it perform activities?

You talked about the spaces for the floriculturists, how important are these spaces?

There should be spaces, zones, parks designated for the floriculturists where they can come and put their saplings on display and sell it to the customers. These spaces will help them to grow as a business unit and eventually people too will have an address to reach out.

Do you think the awareness campaigns would sensitise people about the pros of floriculture?

Yes, campaigns should be done on a regular basis. Those are very essential. During these programs, technical staff should be available who can provide training to youth, inform them about the same but as earlier said, unfortunately, there is a staff shortage.

Your message to people who are associated with floriculture?

My message to the youth is that floriculture has tremendous scope and good revenue. If people join this, they will earn a handsome amount. Our trained youth must take this step and start a flower-growing business, which I am sure will generate significant revenue.

There is no doubt that the department of floriculture is doing a tremendous job, despite the staff dearth. They should take up the matter with the JK administration to make the staff strength sufficient.