Seasonal harvesting of tulips begins in Kashmir Valley

Srinagar, Sept.25 (ANI): Kashmir Valley farmers have kickstarted the harvesting of Tulips with an aim to ensure that visitors arrive in a large numbers to view them and provide a boost to tourism.

Manzoor Ahmad, a gardener, also expressed the importance of timely harvesting of the tulip bulbs.

"If we will not harvest the tulip today it will affect the production of tulip in November. We have to maintain the temperature in greenwood chambers from 7-8 so that it doesn't affect the production of tulip," said Gardner, Manzoor Ahmad.

Presently, hundreds of staffers, including professional gardeners are busy designing and levelling the garden under the supervision of floriculture department officials.

In the last few years Kashmir's tulip garden has attracted tourists all over the world as a result of which, the valley saw millions of tourist visiting the scenic valley.

The post harvesting operation of tulip bulbs is in full swing in Kashmir's tulip garden.

Post harvesting process is done to obtain beautiful flowers and experts from the floriculture department are taking care of it.

"If we do not provide circulation of fresh air to tulip bulbs then it will directly affect the flowering, no matter how big the bulb is. When we maintain the suitable temperature then it will help in the better growth of the flower. Development activities take place in storage as well. The development of Tulip takes place all the year round," said Javed Ahmad Shah, Officer In-Charge District Floriculture.

Authorities have made some traditional cold stores where they have installed air conditioners (AC) to maintain the suitable temperature with an aim to preserve tulip bulbs.

It's important to keep the bulbs under cool temperature after the harvesting of bulbs.

Kashmir was once dubbed the Switzerland of the east. It was once a Mecca for climbers, skiers, honeymooners and filmmakers drawn to the state's soaring peaks, fruit orchards and timber houseboats bobbing on Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer capital.

Planeloads of India's upwardly mobile middle classes have visited the picture postcard-perfect Kashmir Valley this summer, making it the busiest tourist season since the armed revolt began in 1989. (ANI)