Scientists aim at Import Substitution, self reliant farmers
3rd April, 2025, Pulwama: CSIR Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, a research and development institution of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, mandated with pre-clinical drug discovery, has been implementing various societal Mission programmes like CSIRs Aroma and Floriculture Mission promoting sustainable floriculture and enhancing farmers’ income.
Under CSIR Floriculture Mission, the key verticals include Generation of Quality Planting Material of High Value Floricultural Crops, Area Expansion under Floriculture, Urban Floriculture, Post-Harvest Processing and Value Addition, Integration of Floriculture with Apiculture, Establishing Marketing Linkages, and Domestication of Wild Ornamentals. Further, through the Mission activities, the institute has been dedicated to supporting farmers through research and development, particularly in high value floricultural crop cultivation.
In conformity with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, Prime Ministers clarion call for self-reliant India, the pan India CSIR Societal Mission programmes achieved remarkable achievements since last few years.
The Institute has initiated tulip cultivation at its Bonera Station in the year 2022 with the primary objectives of indigenizing tulip bulb production, developing agro-technological protocols, and expanding crop cultivation.
The initiative which started with just 10,000 bulbs in 2022, has successfully produced over one lakh bulbs within just two years, grown over an area of more than 12 kanals this season.
While speaking at Tulip garden of Bonera Field Station, Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, highlighted the significance of this initiative, stating that the Bonera Station currently houses eight tulip varieties under strategic research programmes to develop indigenous tulip bulbs, assess morphological characteristics, establish agro-technological protocols and evaluate varieties for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. He emphasized that indigenizing tulip bulb production will reduce India’s reliance on imports, create economic opportunities for farmers, and contribute to the overall growth of the floriculture sector.
The newly developed Tulip Garden-cum-Experimental Field at Bonera, located in South Kashmir’s Pulwama, was opened to the public that drew thousands of enthusiastic visitors from all parts of the valley. The initiative marks a significant step toward positioning Jammu and Kashmir as a hub for tulip bulb production in future, aiming to shift India from an import-dependent consumer to a self-sufficient producer.(PIB)
