Pulwama, July 12: Dr Basharat Qayoom, IAS, District Development Commissioner, Pulwama Thursday visited Field Station Bonera, Pulwama of CSIR – Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine and took an extensive stock of the various activities and the societal outreach programmes being implemented here.
During his visit he interacted with scientific and technological staff of the Station and visited different sectors of the Station. Dr Shahid Rasool, Senior Scientist and Incharge of the Field Station while welcoming the DDC Pulwama apprised him that the Station spread over an area of more than 200 acres conducts research, development and technology deployment on different region specific medicinal, aromatic, neuatraceutical and floricultural crops for their commercial scale production, processing, post harvest management and value addition.
The Station also imparts trainings and capacity building among the famers, self help groups, agri-entrepreneurs, researchers and students for scientific methodologies through science and technology led innovative industrial farming and processing practices. CSIR IIIM’s Field Station Pulwama known for its huge fields under different high value aromatic crops that include Lavender, Rose, Rosemary, Rose Scented Geranium etc. has been extensively focusing on their expansion to different parts of the region under various farmer oriented and societal outreach initiatives of the CSIR under Ministry of Science and Technology.
The facility also serves as a platform for researchers to pursue their research endeavours. Dr Basharat Qayoom while speaking to our correspondent informed that Council of Scientific and Industrial Research is one of the leading research and development organizations in the world and its different R&D Institutes across the country has been strongly shaping the developmental landscape in the country through its scientific and technological prowess and the Scientists of CSIR IIIM have also been actively contributing in the regional development through their initiatives.
While expressing his appreciations for the nature and scale of the activities being undertaken at the Station, he said that the Station has been actively connected with farmers and other stakeholders for their prosperity and upliftment and assured of his support in smooth and successful execution of programmes and projects of the Station. He also visited apiculture unit and distillation facility at the Station where the Lavender harvest of farmers was being processed for extraction of Lavender oil.
