The Secretary Tourism and Floriculture, Farooq Ahmad Shah, in a meeting with the coordinator for the centers of excellence for India from the Netherlands, Leon Husson, discussed the potential of floriculture in the State of Jammu and Kashmir and decided to establish one center of excellence to up-skill the floriculture sector by generating awareness, farmer training and specific methodology training in the said sector.

Shah said that his government is developing floriculture as one of the priority sectors, which not only will benefit the state economically, but will prove as a major employment-generating initiative because the flowers grown in Jammu Kashmir are rich in fragrance and have longer shelf life. He said that the Chief Minister was seriously working to focus on the sectors, which are employment-generating and are economically rewarding for the youth of the State.

Earlier Secretary Tourism and Floriculture had a review meeting with the Principals of JIM Pahalgam (Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering), IHM Srinagar, Food and craft institute Jammu, Food and craft institute Leh and secretaries of RSGC and Jammu Tawi Golf course. Secretary Tourism urged the officials to focus on Hunar Sey Rozgaar scheme and set a target of training 4000 boys and girls or honing their skills.

In addition, a decision was made to open the branches of FCI Jammu in Baderwah and Rajouri similarly the branches of IHM Srinagar in Anantnag and Baramulla for extended training and skill upgrading avenues to the youth of far-flung areas of said regions.

Source: Kashmir Images