<p>Asia’s largest tulip garden in Kashmir, Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, was started in 2008 with an aim of advancing tourist season but floriculturists here have seized on a business opportunity by introducing the flowers on a commercial scale.<br /><br /></p>.<p>More and more farmers in Kashmir are taking to tulip cultivation due to the high returns of cut flower business, said an official of Floriculture department. <br /><br />“The cost of rearing a tulip bulb into a cut flower is Rs 20 to Rs 22 including all expenses like labour, transportation and heating facilities,” he added<br /><br />"The 'Kashmir Tulip' was introduced as cut flower on commercial scale on Christmas eve and the first order was supplied to Florista, a flower chain in Mumbai," says Javed Ahmad Shah, in-charge of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden.<br /><br />The bloom in extreme harsh winter was possible due to the introduction of hi-tech poly-houses – an experiment started last year – which bore the results this year, he added. <br /><br />"Earlier, tulips in India were mostly imported from Holland. But if everything goes as per plan, we shall have Kashmir tulip catering to all the markets in the country," Shah said.<br /><br />The Kashmir tulip is currently being sent to markets in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.<br /><br />Shah says the private growers got orders even on Valentine's Day from these cities, indicating that the 'rose' might soon turn red by the competition it will face from tulips. <br /><br />“An expert from Holland had recently visited Kashmir to train the tulip farmers from the valley in cultivation and post harvest techniques," he added.<br /><br />The expert was of the opinion that Kashmir has the best climate, soil and water for tulip cultivation.</p>
<p>Asia’s largest tulip garden in Kashmir, Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, was started in 2008 with an aim of advancing tourist season but floriculturists here have seized on a business opportunity by introducing the flowers on a commercial scale.<br /><br /></p>.<p>More and more farmers in Kashmir are taking to tulip cultivation due to the high returns of cut flower business, said an official of Floriculture department. <br /><br />“The cost of rearing a tulip bulb into a cut flower is Rs 20 to Rs 22 including all expenses like labour, transportation and heating facilities,” he added<br /><br />"The 'Kashmir Tulip' was introduced as cut flower on commercial scale on Christmas eve and the first order was supplied to Florista, a flower chain in Mumbai," says Javed Ahmad Shah, in-charge of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden.<br /><br />The bloom in extreme harsh winter was possible due to the introduction of hi-tech poly-houses – an experiment started last year – which bore the results this year, he added. <br /><br />"Earlier, tulips in India were mostly imported from Holland. But if everything goes as per plan, we shall have Kashmir tulip catering to all the markets in the country," Shah said.<br /><br />The Kashmir tulip is currently being sent to markets in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.<br /><br />Shah says the private growers got orders even on Valentine's Day from these cities, indicating that the 'rose' might soon turn red by the competition it will face from tulips. <br /><br />“An expert from Holland had recently visited Kashmir to train the tulip farmers from the valley in cultivation and post harvest techniques," he added.<br /><br />The expert was of the opinion that Kashmir has the best climate, soil and water for tulip cultivation.</p>