Farmers present world's biggest flower bouquet to Dr Kalam

New Delhi, Sep 8 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today said India should adopt scientific innovations coming up in floriculture areas world over as it holds prospects of good economic returns for the farmers.

Inaugurating the three-day 2nd International Flora Expo 2006, Dr Kalam said that just like the flowers are knitted together to make a garland,the floriculturists of the country must come together to make a unified mission.

He suggested a 10-point programme to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and also the farmers for enhancing floriculture, its export to touch an annual target of one billion dollars (Rs 5000 crore) by 2010, in addition to the production for domestic market.

Dr Kalam also suggested for organic farming of the flowers while exhorting the scientists to work on varieties of roses and other flowers that their fragrance remains for a longer period.

India is the largest supplier of rose cut flowers to Japan and has clinched this position from the Netherlands by supplying quality flowers.

For challenging experiments both with flowers and other biodiverse creations of nature, about 5 acres of land has been earmarked in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

"If we (Indians) could only succeed in making the roses both beautiful and fragrant and long lasting, we will have a significant share in the world market.'' Indian Research Institutions should be entrusted with the task of developing pesticides and fungicide indigenously or through partnerships with advanced institutions and industries abroad.

The floriculture business should be given an insurance cover from production to reaching the market and also the government should consider provision of subsidy for insurance.

On this occasion, Dr Kalam was presented with the world's biggest flower bouquet consisting of over 1.5 lakh flowers by the farmers across the country.

The bouquet was 5 feet in base diameter, 20 feet on top diamter and 15 feet high made of different varieties of flowers.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Commerce Secretary S N Menon, Agriculture Secretary Radha Singh and APEDA Chairman K S Money also spoke on the occasion.

UNI BBS VJ KN1913