DODA, SEPTEMBER 16: The Department of Floriculture, Parks & Gardens on Wednesday organised a one-day District-Level event on Commercial Floriculture here at Gajoth, Bhalla.
Held under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme, the event witnessed enthusiastic participation from hundreds of farmers from Gajoth, Bhalla and adjoining areas.
District Development Commissioner Krishan Lal and Director Floriculture Jammu, Nagendra Singh Jamwal attended the programme and interacted with the farming community.
The event highlighted the growing interest of farmers in commercial floriculture in the Bhaderwah region, particularly in Panchayat Gajoth, which has emerged as a prominent hub for the cultivation of marigold and lavender. Gajoth is popularly known as the “Marigold Village of Doda”, with approximately 50–60 quintals of marigold flowers being marketed daily at Jammu during the peak flowering season.
Addressing the gathering, Director Floriculture Jammu Nagendra Singh Jamwal appreciated the enthusiasm of the farmers and encouraged them to adopt modern techniques and diversify into new and high-value flower crops. He assured the farming community that the Department would extend all possible assistance through various Centrally Sponsored Schemes for the promotion and expansion of commercial floriculture.
District Development Commissioner Krishan Lal expressed his appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the farmers of the region. He encouraged them to explore the cultivation of additional flower crops and modernise their farming practices so that the Bhaderwah area could emerge as a recognised floriculture hub not only in Jammu & Kashmir but across the country.
Chief Scientist Dr. Neeraj Kotwal delivered an informative lecture on commercial floriculture, highlighting the immense potential of flower cultivation as a profitable agricultural activity. He emphasised the benefits of protected cultivation of cut flowers and urged farmers to adopt modern cultivation techniques to meet the growing demand for flowers in the region. He further highlighted the scope for local production of cut flowers, as a substantial quantity of cut flowers is presently sourced from outside the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
The commercial floriculture initiative in the area was started by the Department of Floriculture during 2010–11. Since then, the activity has expanded significantly, with thousands of farmers now associated with flower cultivation and earning a sustainable livelihood through commercial floriculture.
Earlier, Assistant Floriculture Officer Arjun Singh Parihar gave a detailed presentation on the progress of the Floriculture Department in the District. He informed the gathering about the initiatives undertaken by the department for the promotion and expansion of flower cultivation.
The Horticulture Officer sensitised the farmers to various departmental schemes and programmes available for the promotion of horticulture and allied activities. The farmers were informed about the benefits and assistance available under different government initiatives.
Programme Officer Akhtar Qazi; Chief Planning Officer Manish Manhas; Deputy Director Floriculture Sunil Singh; Landscape Officer Vikrant Sharma, besides other officers and representatives from allied departments, were present on the occasion.
Representatives from Agriculture and allied sectors installed departmental stalls at the venue and apprised the farming community of the schemes, programmes and benefits available to farmers.
The local farming community expressed gratitude to the Department of Floriculture, Parks & Gardens and the District Administration, Doda for organising the event in the far-flung area of the district. They appreciated the initiative as an important platform for knowledge sharing, awareness generation and promotion of commercial floriculture among farmers.
