The Jammu and Kashmir administration has set up a committee to commercialise the flower production in the union territory.
An order issued by the administration said that the sanction has been “accorded to the constitution of a committee for drafting a Proposal/Action Plan for promotion of commercial floriculture in view the various parameters like climatic conditions, geographical location, suitability of crops etc in the Union territory of J&K”
According to the order, the committee will be headed by Principal Secretary to the Government Agriculture, Production & Farmer’s Welfare Department while its members are Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Floriculture, Parks & Gardens Department, Director General, Horticulture Kashmir (Nodal Officer, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture), Director Agriculture, (Nodal Officer Mission Director RKVY), Kashmir, Directors of Floriculture, Kashmir and Jammu divisions, Extension Officer, SKUAST, Jammu/Kashmir, Deputy Director Floriculture (Central), Directorate of Floriculture, Kashmir, Deputy Director (In-charge Nodal Officer CSS) Directorate of Floriculture, Kashmir and Deputy Director (In-charge Nodal Officer CSS) Directorate of Floriculture, Jammu.
The orders aid the committee can co-opt an expert in the Commercial Floriculture to be empanelled by the Floriculture, Parks & Gardens Department as per requirement. “The Committee shall submit a Proposal/Action Plan within 30 days to the Government,” the order said.
The administration has been asking the floriculture department to maintain the assets such as parks in the best state of maintenance. It has also stressed that there is a need to engage more people in commercial floriculture which could enhance the employment opportunities.
The government has said that various initiatives are being taken to upgrade and develop basic infrastructure and avenues so as to make these points as centres of amusement.
According to officials, more than 70 per cent of 1.25 crore population of Jammu and Kashmir depends directly or indirectly on agriculture and its allied sectors.
As per 2011 census, Kashmir division has population of 71.99 lakhs including 51.5% people residing in rural areas. Interestingly, 1.85 lakhs of females are involved with agriculture and 38.45 thousand of females are working as agricultural labourers, suggesting that around 2.24 lakhs of females are directly involved with farming in Kashmir division of Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier this year, the administration organised a training program on commercial floriculture in Srinagar.