Anantnag: The Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal Monday visited Lavender Farm Sirhama, Anantnag and took stock of all the developmental and other mandated activities carried out in the farm.
During the visit, the Director impressed upon the officers to identify and explore the avenues for the promotion and development of different types of floral species, herbs and shrubs for their multiplication on commercial lines, so that this allied wing of agriculture can contribute to the employment of the unemployed youth of the valley.
He called upon the officers to work for the promotion of entrepreneurship in this sector so that more youth can be involved with this business. He further insisted to encourage the innovative ideas in the field and make efforts to include new floral species in the present spectrum.
Chowdhary said the department is working on a plan to utilise huge chunks of waste land and Karewas or successfully utilising for lavender cultivation, which could provide an opportunity to the farmers to produce aromatic oils, perfumes and foray into the nutraceutical industry.
While appreciating the role of the management of the farm in making the farm relevant Chowdhary directed them to provide farmers and other aspiring entrepreneur’s required technical knowhow for the cultivation and processing of lavender.
