Director Agriculture inaugurates Lavender Festival at Sirhama Anantnag

Department committed to the development of Lavender crop: Chowdhury Iqbal

SRINAGAR, June 20: The Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal today inaugurated Lavender Festival at Floriculture Farm Sirhama, Anantnag.

Speaking on the occasion, Director Agriculture highlighted the economic importance of Lavender crop and said that there is a huge potential to grab in this sector.

The Director said that the department is introducing new interventions for strengthening this crop. He further said the cultivation of Lavender on commercial lines and participation of educated youth in this allied wing of agriculture could help achieve socio-economic transformation of the farming community.

Iqbal reiterated the Department’s commitment to introduce and promote Lavender in newer areas so that more and more people from the farming community could adopt this under integrated farming concept.

Director said that Lavender is a multi dimensional crop and the agro-climatic conditions of our region are one of the best in the country, therefore the Department is working on a long term plan for the cultivation and marketing of this flower.

He said that under HADP special attention has been paid to the promotion of lavender in the region and different projects have been approved for the development of this crop.

He also said that Kashmir being one of the best tourist destinations in the country has immense opportunities for the marketing of ornamental plants like Lavender therefore the Department is endeavoring to attract more and more farmers towards the cultivation of ornamental and medicinal plants.

Joint Director Agriculture (inputs) Kashmir Mohammad Younis Chowdhury, Chief Agriculture Officer Anantnag Ajaz Hussain Dar and other senior officers were present on the occasion.