Pulwama, 06.11.2023: CSIR IIIM at its Field Station Pulwama today organized 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 was conducted under the patronage of Dr Zabeer Ahmad Director, CSIR IIIM Jammu and Er Ab Rahim, Head, RMBD&IST & Head, CSIR IIIM, Srinagar. 75 students and faculty members from Department of Botany, Amar Singh College, Srinagar participated in the workshop. At the outset of the programme, Dr Iqra Farooq, Project Associate-I gave an overview of the role of CSIR-IIIM in development and dissemination of the technologies on cultivation and processing of industrially important medicinal, aromatic and floricultural crops viz., Lavender, Rosemary, Rose Scented Geranium, Damask Rose, Saffron, Lilium, Marigold and Gladiolus and the expansion of such highly remunerative industrial crops to farmer fields for increased income and livelihood generation through various projects and Mission programmes like CSIR Aroma Mission, CSIR Floriculture Mission and CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative. The participants were apprised about the Entrepreneurship and Livelihood opportunities offered in the value chain of such crops and were imparted practical training and skill on propagation techniques, cultivation, processing techniques and post harvest technology of these crops in the daylong programme. Dr Aadil Khursheed, Project Associate-I demonstrated the distillation techniques for extraction of essential oils from aromatic crops and informed the participants about the important bioactive constituents and their properties attributed to these crops. Dr Nahida Chishti, Associate Professor, Amar Singh College while speaking at event appreciated the efforts of the team of the Field Station in organizing the workshop that aimed in knowledge based skill and capacity building and inculcation of the spirit of entrepreneurship among the participating students. She also expressed her gratitude to Dr Zabeer Ahmad, Director CSIR IIIM and Er Abdul Rahim, Head IIIM (Br) Srinagar, Dr Shahid Rasool, Senior Scientist and Incharge Field Station Pulwama, Principal and the administration of Amar Singh College for conducting the event.
