Srinagar, Jan 29 — A young farmer from Pampore has begun cultivating tulip bulbs locally, a move he says could reduce the Valley’s dependence on costly imports and create new opportunities in agriculture and tourism.
Irshad Ahmad Dar, a progressive farmer from Patal Bagh area of Pampore, has planted 1,500 tulip bulbs on his saffron land — entirely at his own expense and without any government assistance.
“I started with 1,500 bulbs on my own land. The seed material was imported from Holland, and bulb multiplication will begin in May,” Dar said.
Calling the project a personal experiment driven by belief in Kashmir’s natural suitability, he added, “I brought everything myself, without any government support, purely based on my own idea that tulips can be successfully grown and multiplied here.”
Dar said the initiative carries strong economic potential, especially as the government spends lakhs of rupees every year importing bulbs for the Srinagar Tulip Garden.
“Every year, tulip bulbs worth lakhs are brought from outside. If we can grow and multiply them locally, why should we depend on imports?” he asked.
Located in a region already known for saffron farming and naturally growing wild tulips, Dar’s fields now offer a colourful spring landscape that is attracting tourists, photographers and nature lovers.
He believes Kashmir’s climate and soil are ideal for large-scale tulip bulb multiplication but remain largely unexplored.
“There is immense scope for local youth to enter this field. Tulip farming can become a new commercial activity and generate employment in the Valley,” Dar said, adding that government support could help the sector grow rapidly.