National conference on flower farming solutions, held in Karnal

Karnal: Flower farmers in India have to face huge challenges in selling their products. Farmer Producer Organizations have taken a bold step to address this issue and provide adequate markets for farmers so that they can sell their yields easily without any hue and cry, boosting their income as well. Currently, scientists are stressing the exploration of such flowers that can be used for edible oils. In this regard, a discussion on flower production and its challenges occurred at Maharana Pratap Horticulture University, Karnal, recently.

Gurbachan Singh, former chairman of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB), was the chief guest in a two-day national conference on “Smart Farming Solutions for Horticulture. He, along with Dr. Suresh Malhotra, Vice-Chancellor of the university, inaugurated the event. Experts and entrepreneurs from the floriculture sector were present on this occasion.

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Dr. Gurbachan Singh explained that flower farming in the country has a vast potential. He said that the need of the hour is the smart and modern farming for boosting production and creating a market for the sale of the products. Dr. Suresh Malhotra emphasized the importance of flower exports, saying that last year, India exported flowers worth Rs 718 crore to several countries such as the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, and Malaysia.

It is essential to adopt methods like vertical gardening, hydroponics, polyhouses, integrated cold chains, and advanced machinery for better yields; transmitting scientific knowledge to flower farmers and collaborating with organizations like agricultural research centers and horticulture universities is crucial for boosting yields.

Experts inspected many stalls set up by departments and entrepreneurs from across the country.