2000 kanals of land being covered to produce 40 m bulbs in Kashmir

Srinagar, Jun 15 (UNI) About 2000 kanals of land would be covered to produce 40 million bulbs of Lillium and cut flowers during the year 2008.

Director of Agriculture Ghulam Haider Bhat said the Lillium bulb production had also been also introduced in the private sector because of its demand within and outside the country.

He said a Pune based company KF Bio Plants has covered an area of 115 kanals by way of supplying planting material and other inputs to the farmers in the Kashmir valley The company is interested in covering an area of about 2000 kanals during the year 2008 and is likely to produce about more than 40 million bulbs which shall be marketed within and outside India, Mr Bhat said at a meeting called to review the progress of Lillium project at Model Floriculture Centre, Nuner Ganderbal.

The meeting discussed various aspects of the projects including distribution of Lillium bulb among the farmers and imparting training to them in this connection.

Marketing Lillium bulbs and cut flowers has been initiated and the department is in close rapport with other states.

Mr Bhat said bulb material would be made available to the farmers by the end of this year at a low cost.

UNI