To review the progress on the Department's programme of promoting lavender and other aromatic, medicinal plants on commercial lines, the Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhary Mohammed Iqbal today visited S.M Farm Allowpora Pulwama.
Director visited different blocks of the farm. He had an interaction session with the technical experts and concerned officers of the Farm. Expressing his views, the Director highlighted the commercial importance of lavender and other aromatic, medicinal plants and said that lavender is one of the best cash crops in the world.
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.
Iqbal 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. He exhorted upon the concerned officers to invite farmers, Agri-entrepreneurs to the departmental farms and hold demonstration sessions with them so that the modern technologies and interventions in the concerned field could be transmitted to the grassroots level in a comprehensive manner.
During the visit Farm Manager gave a detailed overview of the different activities under implementation at the farm. Director was appraised about the plantation of Lavender and other aromatic plants. Further, the Director was appraised that the farm is supplying rooted lavender seedlings to other districts also for area expansion under aromatic and medicinal plants.