Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct. 8: An orientation programme on the Promotion of Floriculture with Special Focus on Tropical Cut Flowers was held yesterday at the Gram Panchayat Beodnabad. The event was jointly organized by the Zonal Agriculture Office, South Andaman in association with the High Value Agriculture Development Agency (HVADA), Directorate of Agriculture. The programme was inaugurated by the chief guest, Smti. Champa Das, Pramukh, Panchayat Samiti, Prothrapur who appreciated the Department of Agriculture for such a timely and impactful initiative to empower local farmers. In her address, she highlighted the vast potential of tropical floriculture in the islands and encouraged farmers to adopt high-value crops to enhance their income.
The programme focused on the cultivation, management and market potential of Heliconia and Alpinia species which are increasingly in demand as tropical cut flowers in both national and international markets. Smti. Pitchammal Beevi, Assistant Director (Agriculture) explained the farmers on the suitability of these crops under the Island agro-climatic conditions, their adaptability and the economic advantages they offer.
Shri. V. Kumar, Sarpanch, Gram Panchayat Beodnabad, welcomed this initiative and noted that such programmes create valuable livelihood opportunities for rural youth and farmers. He encouraged the farming community to take full advantage of the technical guidance and institutional support provided by the Agriculture Department.
The event was witnessed by the active participation from local farmers, SHG members, field staff and Panchayat representatives. Informational pamphlets were distributed to farmers. The event concluded with an interactive session, where farmers shared their queries and suggestions. During the programme, altogether, 36 participants attended wherein 23 farmers have enrolled their names for taking up Heliconia sp. and Alpinia sp. cultivation with approximately covering an area of 1.0 hectare under the floriculture initiative.