Katra, Aug 23 (IANS) The success story of an 80-year-old farmer in Jammu and Kashmir’s Katra has taken the villagers in adjoining areas by surprise, as his floriculture enterprise has turned into a money-minting business and is making heads turn because of a ‘novel’ concept of farming.
His enthusiasm for floriculture has become an inspiration for other villagers. Floriculture has provided him with not just an additional income but has also led to the creation of self-employment opportunities in the rural areas.
The Agriculture Department in Jammu & Kashmir is also encouraging farmers to adopt floriculture alongside traditional farming practices. As a result of this, the villagers are increasingly taking up floriculture as a viable business option.
The elderly farmer named Premu expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that his success came on the back of government support. He stated that timely guidance, agricultural inputs and government schemes are helping farmers transform agriculture into a more profitable livelihood.
Speaking to IANS, Premu said, “We are reaping greater benefits from flower farming now than before. The government has also extended its support, and we have benefited immensely. Our work has yielded significant returns. We also receive a pension — an amount of Rs 2,000 every three months, so I am very grateful to them. I thank the government for promoting such initiatives and hope they continue to support such activities in the future.”
Taking cue from his success, another farmer, Rashid, is cultivating flowers on his land.
To promote floriculture and boost farmers’ income, he was provided with planting material through IIIM Jammu, following a request from the Agriculture Department.
This assistance is helping farmers access quality planting material alongside technical guidance.
He told IANS that planting hybrid and high-quality saplings has boosted their income.
“Alongside vegetable farming, we have also started a dairy farm. Everyone should participate enthusiastically in this; it offers a way to earn an income right from home,” he said.
Gulsar, a farmer from adjoining Bhagtha village, is also engaged in floriculture and is earning a good income from the business.
“These initiatives are encouraging farmers to move beyond traditional farming and adopt floriculture and the Integrated Farming System (IFS), thereby creating opportunities for better income and self-employment in rural areas,” he said.
The success of 80-year-old farmer Premu in floriculture has proved that age is no barrier to innovation, income generation, or self-reliance.
Rakesh Kumar Sharma, an Agriculture Extension Assistant (AEA) in Panthal Block, said, “These were very hardworking farmers. Under the IFS (Integrated Farming System) model, we thought that if these farmers combined floriculture with poultry and dairy farming, they could increase their income. With this in mind, I coordinated with IIIM and made a request. They provided free hybrid seeds to farmers—whether they were from Bhagtha, Panthal Block, or Dadura. We have covered approximately 600 kanals of land under this initiative.”
–IANS
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