Jammu, Nov 23: The Flower Growers of Jammu Division, led by Tejinder Singh Wazir, Member of the J&K Kissan Advisory Board, have appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Minister for Floriculture to address the urgent needs of the floriculture sector across Jammu and Kashmir.
During a meeting, Wazir welcomed the establishment of the Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood and Polo View Nursery in Srinagar, initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable and local production of indigenous flowers, bulbs, and plants. He emphasized the importance of involving local growers and nurserymen in these projects to strengthen the region’s floricultural capabilities.
Wazir highlighted that despite a decade of appeals, the UT lacks a concrete policy for promoting the commercial floriculture industry. “While J&K has suitable climatic conditions for producing tulip bulbs, billions are spent annually on imports. Local growers can efficiently propagate Gul-e-Dawood to meet regional demand under the ‘Local for Vocal’ slogan,” he said. He further called for creating similar theme-based gardens in Jammu to tap into its floriculture tourism potential.
Expressing gratitude towards the CSIR Floriculture Mission under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Wazir noted its success in empowering over 3,000 farmer families in the UT. He shared that the Mission has generated Rs. 25 crore in revenue through locally-produced flowers over the past three years, significantly reducing dependency on imports.
Wazir also appealed to Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh to strengthen the Floriculture Mission’s efforts, particularly in indigenous propagation of tulip and bulbous crops, while suggesting the export of locally produced bulbs to other regions. He further proposed organizing a “Pushp Kranti Mela” to encourage florists and flower growers to explore the potential of commercial floriculture.
Wazir urged that government-led initiatives, including the CSIR Floriculture Mission and the Holistic Agriculture Development Program, work in tandem to benefit flower growers in Jammu and Kashmir.
