Agri dept mulling to distribute 15 lakh lotus seedlings this year: Director

Srinagar, Mar 26: Asserting over the increased demand for the lotus stems at national and international markets , Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Muhammad Iqbal on Sunday said that it was the Agriculture Department that was focused and started working on promotion of lotus stems both at national and international levels to enhance its marketing and cultivation.
“Apart from Indian states, we have been able to export lotus stems to Saudi Arabia and other gulf countries. The department is trying to promote all varieties that are being cultivated inside the Dal Lake in Srinagar,” he said.
This year he said the department is mulling to distribute 15 lakh lotus seedlings prepared in different farms to distribute the same among the farmers across the valley in order to further push its cultivation and production. “It will be a record in the history of Kashmir’s agriculture,” he said.
Chowdhary said the quality of lotus of Kashmir is far better than artificial lotus varieties that are being cultivated in various parts of the country.
“Kashmiri lotus is delicious and has a unique taste and it was not promoted till date. Now we are working to promote it at a larger scale,” he said.
The department has also formed Farmer Producing Organization (FPO) which is also promoting it in the USA and in other countries. “This year we have sent consignment of lotus and we have been able to send it through the FPO only,” he said.
Chowdhary said that the department has initiated various schemes for the famers which are being implemented and offered by the department at their door steps.
He said the government has initiated key reforms in the agriculture sector as a matter of policy to elevate the socio-economic conditions of farmers and is attempting to make them entrepreneurs par excellence.
Regarding the purple revolution of lavender cultivation he said the credit goes to the whole agriculture department. The director said lavender is one of the best cash crops in the world.
“The lavender was sent to the Banee area of Jammu and our people have been connected with lavender cultivation and its promotion,” he said.
The director said the department has extracted 400 litres of oil from lavender. “The department will continue its promotion for lavender in the Himalayan region,” he said.
Chowdhary said the department has framed many policies to cultivate the best quality lavender in the valley and it will be improved further in coming years.
He said the demand for quality planting material of lavender in Kashmir division has increased over the years and efforts are on to meet the demand to attract progressive agriculture entrepreneurs towards this aromatic crop.
The director said that the idea behind the promotion and introduction of lavender crop to newer areas on commercial lines is to create employment opportunities for the youth.