The International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) is gearing up to organise an international symposium on horticulture at Ambalavayal.
Sisir Mitra, Chairman, ISHS, told the media here on Thursday after visiting Poopoly-2015, a State-level flower show, and National Agrifiesta, organised by the Kerala Agricultural University at its Regional Agriculture Research Station here, that horticulture and floriculture had good potential in the district.
“I foresee a bright future for floriculture and pomology in the region,” Dr. Mitra said the favourable climate and fertile soil would help in commercial cultivation of flowers such as dahlia, gladiolus, rose, and gerbera, and exotic fruits like litchi, raspberry, strawberry, rambutan, and avocado. Even macadamia, an indigenous Australian fruit, could be successfully grown here, he added.
The symposium to be organised in association with the KAU by the middle of December would expose the unexplored potential to global traders, opening up new avenues for farmers and agri-entrepreneurs here, he said.
Dr. Mitra said advantages of a different harvesting season would be a blessing for the farmers. About Agrifiesta, Dr. Mitra said it was a unique experience as it set an excellent example for technology transfer combined with entertainment. “Imparting modern technologies to farmers had always been a challenge and this method seemed so effective,” he added.
