Punjab farms to bloom with flowers

Flowers have a huge, and exponentially growing, demand in the domestic as well as international markets. Realising Punjab's the potential in reaping rich harvest of commercial grade flowers because of its subtropical climate and fertile alluvial soil, the state government has moved fast to set up a Centre of Excellence for Floriculture at Doraha in Ludhiana district in collaboration with The Netherlands government.

The centre, coming up on 3 hectares of land owned by the state horticulture department, is expected to be completed this year at a cost of Rs 7.7 crore. 

It will provide excellent training infrastructure for capacity building of the growers with the use of contemporary and most suitable new technologies.

Demonstration and hands on training to be provided to farmers on green house management, soil health, plant protection and managing environment using solar power, and production of cut flowers, potted plants, planting materials and nursery management is expected to lead to adoption of high value floriculture as a most profitable option for diversification in the state.

The state government feels that farmers in Punjab have the ability to take up new technologies quickly, and therefore production of selected flowers in big volumes for export and the vast domestic market can give them far higher profits compared to traditional agriculture. The flowers to be grown in the hi-tech Dutch green house with automated climate control, irrigation and fertigation system are Rose, Gerbera, Chrysanthemum and Carnation. There will also be a hi-tech green house for containerised nursery production in soilless media.  

Flowers to be taken up under open field conditions will be Marigold (African and French), Chrysanthemum (Standard and Spray), Jasmine (Motia), Red Rose & Pink Rose, Gladiolus and other bulbs, Tuberose and seasonal seed, cut flower and filler crops.

(The above content has been received from the Punjab Government under The Tribune Space Marketing Initiative)

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