Three-day national conference on floriculture in Shivamogga to begin on March 23

The Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences in Shiamogga will be organising a three-day national conference on ‘Floriculture and Landscaping @2047 Viksit Bharat’ at the College of Agriculture in Shivamogga on March 23.

R. Girish, secretary of Horticulture Department, will inaugurate the conference. R.C. Jagadish, Vice-Chancellor of the university, will preside over the event. B. Hemla Naik, director of education of the university and other senior faculty will take part in the event.

Mr. Naik, in a press release, stated that Karnataka is a hub of commercial flower cultivation, with 30% of the country’s total flower production. Favourable climatic conditions, fertile soil and geographical diversity in the State support both traditional and modern flower cultivation on a commercial scale.

India stands as the second-largest producer of flowers in the world, after China. “In India, flower cultivation covers approximately 2.85 lakh hectares, producing about 21.52 lakh tonnes of loose flowers and 645 tonnes of cut flowers. India is in the 51st place globally in flower exports, generating an income of approximately ₹455 crore from horticulture,” said Mr. Naik.

The conference will be organised in collaboration with the Indian Society of Ornamental Horticulture, New Delhi, ICAR-IARI, ICAR-Directorate of Floricultural Research; and the University of Horticultural Sciences in Bagalkot.

“The occasion will serve as a platform to exchange ideas, share innovations and explore new technologies to strengthen floriculture and landscaping sectors in India,” he added.