Farmers and floriculture stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir have urged the government to formulate a dedicated and comprehensive policy for commercial floriculture, saying the sector has significant potential to generate employment, promote entrepreneurship and enhance rural incomes.
Tajinder Singh Wazir, Member, J&K Kisan Board for Development of Kisans, said the government’s focus on developing floriculture parks under Smart City projects was welcome, but stressed that commercial floriculture requires sustained institutional support through a well-defined policy.
The farmers called for measures covering working capital, interest subsidies, crop insurance, European-pattern protected cultivation, post-harvest infrastructure and organised marketing support to make floriculture commercially viable for local growers.
They also urged the government to reduce dependence on imported planting material, particularly tulip bulbs, and encourage indigenous production within J&K. Agricultural universities, research institutions and concerned departments, they said, should focus on developing locally suitable planting material, technologies and cultivation practices through a practical and outcome-oriented approach.
The stakeholders said J&K possesses favourable climatic conditions for developing a competitive floriculture industry, but unlocking its potential would require coordinated and sustained intervention by the government.
Wazir appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to consider introducing a special and comprehensive floriculture policy for J&K, with a clear focus on strengthening local production and creating sustainable opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs.
The farmers further stressed that local nurserymen should be systematically involved in all new government initiatives related to floriculture and planting material, so that new projects strengthen local production rather than deepen dependence on imports.
