CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu launched activities of CSIR Floriculture Mission in the Jammu and Kashmir UT on 5^th November in a day long programme at CSIR-IIIM (Br.) Srinagar. Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences (Independent Charge); MOS in Prime Minister’s Office; Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space was the Chief guest at the event and Dr. Shekhar C. Mande, Director General CSIR and & Secretary to Govt. of India, DSIR, Dr. J. P. Sharma, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST- Jammu and SKUAST- Kashmir, Dr D.S Reddy, Director CSIR-IIIM, Prof. Sarfaraz Ahmad Wani, Director Research SKUAST-K, Prof. D.M. Makhdoomi, Director Extension SKUAST-K, Prof. Gul Zaffar, Registrar SKUAST-K, Er. Abdul Rahim Head, RMBD&IST and Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Head, CSIR-IIIM (Br.) Srinagar were also present on the occasion. More than 100 farmers from different districts of Kashmir valley attended the event and later interacted with the Minister.

Dr. Shahid Rasool, Nodal Scientist, CSIR Floriculture Mission gave a detailed overview of the mission and the role of CSIR in developing and dissemination of technologies for the development and promotion of Floriculture sector on scientific lines. He apprised the Ministers and other dignitaries about the objectives of the mission in enhancing farmers’ income and to develop entrepreneurship ecosystem through high value floriculture using CSIR technologies. He also highlighted the verticals of the mission to be implemented by CSIR-IIIM in UT of J&K that include development of new floral varieties; expansion of areas under region specific floricultural crops; integration of apiculture and floriculture and establishing effective domestic and international market linkage.

Dr D. S. Reddy, Director CSIR IIIM, Jammu while delivering the welcome address introduced the audience about CSIR-IIIM and the various societal programmes the institute has initiated in the recent past. The role of CSIR-IIIM in the cultivation and processing of industrially important medicinal and aromatic crops in J&K and other parts of the country through a number of mission programmes and outreach projects was also highlighted.

Dr Jitendra Singh, Union MOS S&T appreciated the role of CSIR and IIIM in taking lead in conceiving and implementing different societal programme with a major focus to enhance the farmers’ income and generate the employment for youths. Congratulating the CSIR team for launching the activities of Floriculture Mission in J&K UT, he underscored the importance of agri-entrepreneurship to enhance the economy of the UT while taking up floriculture as an enterprise. While interacting with the participating farmers and entrepreneurs, he emphasized upon the scope and opportunities offered in the cultivation of floricultural crops for the unemployed youth of the UT owing to the rich floral biodiversity and agro-climatic suitability of the region for the production of off-season floricultural crops. On the occasion a scientific bulletin for commercial cultivation of high value floricultural crops was also released. Later the Chief Guest at the event distributed the quality planting material of different target crops under the mission among the participating farmers. On the sideline of the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between CSIR- IIIM and SKUAST-Jammu and SKUAST-Kashmir for mutual sharing of the Institutional facilities and human resources, student exchange for conduct of research, development and extension of the technologies developed jointly.