High-tech poly houses being used to boost tulip production in Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 13 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir horticulture department is using hi-tech poly houses to help facilitate the early bloom of tulips, which in turn is boosting its production.

Tulips, which are usually ready for cultivation in April have blossomed two months earlier this year.

The high-tech poly house made out of a polycarbonate double layer transparent sheet and are installed with digital water showers, digital heaters and digital clocks along with a special green coloured net to protect the flowers or crops from excess heat.

The project in-charge Javed Ahmad said the initiative had been launched as an experiment and has yielded positive results.

"Ever since the tulip gardens have been made, our constant efforts have been to see how it can be done in an improved manner. We have some different poly houses, some of them are nurseries and ventilated poly houses. We made some high-tech ones last year and thought that we should perform such experiments or demonstrations to the growers so that it can be done. Till we do it ourselves, then only can we tell the growers as to what can be done and how they can benefit from it," said Ahmad.

High-tech poly houses are commonly used in Holland, the world's top tulip producer.

Tulip growers in Kashmir praised the use of technology as a means to lift their produce and profits.

"Earlier when we used to grow tulips, they used to be ready by April as the winters are too cold here. This year due to this, our tulips are ready in the month of February. So if this is done at a large scale, then it can benefit us a lot," said said Bilal Ahmad, a tulip grower.

Tulips are one of the main export items from the Kashmir valley.

India hopes to gain momentum in this trade by introducing newer technology in the field. (ANI)