Kashmir has a huge potential of Bulgarian rose cultivation and it can become a huge income generation crop for the farmers, a foriculturist of the Department of Agriculture Kashmir said on Sunday.
Dr Anjum Rashid Floriculturist, Department of Agriculture Kashmir said Balgarian rose cultivation has huge potential in Kashmir and the valley is best suited for its cultivation.
“Rose is also known as the king of flowers and there are many types of roses. The most famous and most cultivated rose is the Balgarian rose (pink) which is also cultivated commercially in some states in India,” she said.
The fragrance of the Balgarian rose is famous worldwide and it is the most cultivated rose. However, in Kashmir, the rose is grown only in the local gardens not at the commercial level.
“Kashmir is the appropriate and in lieu with the climatic conditions of Europe where from this rose has come. We have been advising farmers not to confine the flower to home flower beds only but also cultivate at commercially,” she said.
The Floriculturist said rose is such a crop that will benefit a farmer every year and farmers do not have to wait for long years for the produce.
“If a farmer plants other fruit trees that takes four to five years to give fruits, but a rose plant which is a shrub starts giving flowers in the second year only once the cuttings are established,” Dr Anjum said.
The commercial method of propagation of roses for oil extraction purpose is through cuttings. While talking about the norms of cultivation and plantation, she said a farmer can plant 50,000 to 60,000 plants in one hectare of land.
“One hectare of land can produce approximately 15 lakh flowers. The flowers can be used for rose water, rose oil and we can also use the petals. This is a cash crop. Petals are used for making different food products as well,” she said.
The floriculturist said the department has four major rose farms in Kashmir where rose is cultivated. “Last year, we extracted 4,500 litres of rose water from the flowers that also generated good revenue for the government exchequer,” she said.
There is a great demand for this crop in the national and international markets.
“It has a good market. One litre of rose oil will go up to Rs 12 lakh in the international market. It has a very good scope,” Dr Anjum said.
“As part of the holistic development plan of agriculture and allied sectors, the department of agriculture has included two aspects that include aromatic plants and another commercial floriculture. Commercial floriculture includes roses that has been included. The government is doing much more for the propagation of the crop,” she said.
She also said that people in Kashmir are not cultivating the rose flower the way it should have been done despite its huge economic or market value.
“Youth can come forward and make rose gardens and they do not require huge resources for that. They just need the land and can take help of the agriculture department. People can earn a lot of money out of this business,” she said.
The floriculturist also said rose cultivation can also generate jobs for the unemployed youth adding that youth can become job providers instead of job seekers.