Sagam, March 29 (KNS): In a focused push to position the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as a hub of high-value floriculture, the Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperatives and Election Departments, Jenab Javid Ahmad Dar, today inaugurated a Tulip Garden at SKUAST-K’s Mountain Crop Research Station (MCRS) Sagam and reviewed progress at the Centre of Excellence on Tulip and Temperate Bulb Production.
Inspecting the tulip research fields and ongoing activities, the Minister described the initiative as a participatory model with strong community involvement. He underlined its potential to enhance tourist inflow, generate economic activity and create sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Emphasizing self-reliance, he noted that scaling up tulip bulb production would reduce dependence on imports and strengthen the local economy. Reaffirming government support, he assured continued policy backing, investment and institutional strengthening to advance floriculture in the Union Territory. The Minister also released a publication highlighting the Centre’s research achievements and innovations.
Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble MLA Dooru Shahabad, Jenab Ghulam Ahmad Mir, highlighted floriculture as a viable avenue for income generation and employment for local farmers and youth. He called for improved infrastructure, including road connectivity and communication facilities, to support the growth of the Centre and allied activities in the region.
Earlier, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai emphasized the University’s commitment to developing a sustainable and scalable model for tulip bulb production in Jammu and Kashmir.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelHe noted that the Centre of Excellence at Sagam is emerging as a key platform for research, innovation and technology dissemination. He also lauded the efforts of Dr Qazi Altaf Hussain, Dr MA Mantoo, and all those associated with the Centre of Excellence on Tulip at MCRS Sagam for their dedicated work.
Prof Imtiyaz Tahir Nazki, Principal Investigator of the Centre, presented an overview of progress made and outlined future directions, particularly the transition from research to commercialisation. Prof SK Sharma, former Vice-Chancellor and project consultant, shared insights on the feasibility study for establishing a dedicated Centre of Excellence for tulip bulb production in the region.
The visit coincided with a one-day workshop on “Potential of Tulip Bulb Production in Kashmir (From Research to Commercialisation: Strengthening Farmer Livelihoods through Tulip Bulb Production)”, organised by the Centre of Excellence in collaboration with the Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN). On the occasion, a draft feasibility report for establishing a dedicated Centre of Excellence under the JKCIP project was also released.
The dignitaries were felicitated by the University in recognition of their support to agricultural research and development. The program witnessed participation from senior varsity officers, scientists, heads of research stations and Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and officers from allied development departments, and concluded with a vote of thanks by Director Research SKUAST-K Prof Haroon Rashid Naik.(KNS).