Srinagar March 06:(KNS)   Advisor to LG Farooq Ahmed Khan on the occasion of “7 th Technology cum Seed Sale Mela” organized by SKUAST-K distributed superior quality willow saplings used for the manufacture of cricket bats among the beneficiaries associated with the Sethar cricket bat cluster in presence of the VC SKUAST- K Dr Nazir Ahmed , Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole and various Deans and Head of Departments . 

On this occasion Director Industries and Commerce Kashmir Mehmood Ahmed Shah said that under the World Bank funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project, Faculty of Forestry SKUAST-Kashmir has been engaged for identification and propagation of best quality willow(Salix Alba var caerulea) used for the manufacture of cricket bat. He also added that it is expected that with the use of superior quality willow the quality of the cricket bat manufactured in the Valley would be comparable to those which are manufactured in the rest of the World.

Dean Faculty of Forestry briefed that the Department has completed the research work for the application for GI Tag for Kashmir Willow and in collaboration with the Industries Department would shortly approach the Registrar of GI Chennai for the allocation of the GI Mark. With the allocation of the GI Mark quality parameters of the cricket bat manufactured would be frozen.

The various representatives of from the Cricket bat Cluster who attended the event hailed the efforts made by the Principal Secretary I&C Ranjan Prakash Thakur for the development of the cricket bat industry. Further the various stakeholders suggested that suitable land in the Anantnag district may be identified for the propagation of the superior quality of the willow on a large scale.(KNS)