The CSIR Floriculture Mission has recently made headlines as it received approval for implementation in 21 States and Union Territories across India. Along with this, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has introduced a new Societal Portal and an Android app. The mission is an extensive program focusing on enhancing the cultivation, processing, and marketing of a wide variety of ornamental plants.
Key Aspects of the Floriculture Mission
Floriculture, an integral part of horticulture, primarily deals with cultivating and beautifying the surroundings using ornamental plants. This mission aims to accentuate commercial floral crops, seasonal/annual crops, wild ornaments, and flower crops beneficial for honey bee rearing. Popular among these are Gladiolus, Canna, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Gerbera, Lilium, Marigold, Rose, Tuberose and many more. To optimise the resources, CSIR Institutes will share their extensive knowledge base with farmers and industry workers.
As per the available market studies, the Indian floriculture market, being worth Rs. 15,700 crore in 2018, is projected to reach Rs. 47,200 crore by 2024. The mission involves collaborations with other agencies including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), APEDA and TRIFED, Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj, and Ministry of Commerce & Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
Economic Benefits and Opportunities
The mission opens doors for numerous job opportunities in nursery raising, floriculture farming, entrepreneurial development for nursery trade, value addition and export. Despite its rich plant diversity and diverse agro-climatic and edaphic conditions, India only contributes 0.6% to the global floriculture market. Moreover, India imports floriculture products every year worth about 1200 million USD. The mission aims to drastically cut this figure by boosting domestic production.
The Floriculture mission also plans on merging with Apiculture (beekeeping), which will provide additional benefits. Another related initiative is the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), which deals with fruits, vegetables, root & tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo.
CSIR’s Societal Portal: A Brief Synopsis
Developed collaboratively by the CSIR Team and MyGov Team, the Societal Portal primarily serves as a bridge between the public and the governing bodies. The portal encourages common people to suggest societal issues that can be resolved using Science and Technology interventions.
About Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
Established in September 1942, CSIR functions as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Science & Technology. It is widely recognized for its advanced research and development activities across multiple science and technology domains. As per the Nature Ranking Index-2020, it stands first, thereby providing a nearly real-time proxy of high-quality research output and collaboration at the institutional, national and regional level.
Last Modified: February 11, 2024