The CSIR IIIM Field Station Pulwama hosted a one-day workshop on entrepreneurship opportunities in cultivation, processing, and postharvest technology of aromatic, medicinal, and floricultural crops under CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative. The workshop, held under the auspices of Dr Zabeer Ahmad, Director, CSIR IIIM Jammu, and Er Ab Rahim, Head, RMBD&IST & Head, CSIR IIIM, Srinagar, witnessed enthusiastic participation from 75 students and faculty members from the Department of Botany, Amar Singh College, Srinagar.
In her opening remarks, Dr Iqra Farooq, Project Associate-I, provided an overview of CSIR-IIIM’s pivotal role in developing and disseminating technologies related to the cultivation and processing of industrially important medicinal, aromatic, and floricultural crops. She highlighted specific crops such as Lavender, Rosemary, Rose Scented Geranium, Damask Rose, Saffron, Lilium, Marigold, and Gladiolus, emphasizing their potential for increased income and livelihood generation. The workshop aimed to impart practical training and skills, focusing on propagation techniques, cultivation, processing methods, and post-harvest technology related to these crops.
During the workshop, Dr Aadil Khursheed, Project Associate-I, demonstrated distillation techniques for extracting essential oils from aromatic crops. He provided insights into important bioactive constituents and their properties, enriching the participants’ understanding of these valuable crops.
Dr Nahida Chishti, Associate Professor at Amar Singh College, lauded the efforts of the CSIR IIIM Field Station team for organizing the workshop. She emphasized the significance of knowledge-based skill development and the cultivation of an entrepreneurial spirit among the participating students. Dr Chishti expressed her gratitude to Dr Zabeer Ahmad, Er Abdul Rahim, Dr Shahid Rasool, Senior Scientist and Incharge Field Station Pulwama, Principal and the administration of Amar Singh College for conducting the event.
