Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena laid the foundation stone for two high-altitude flower fields in Leh on Monday, marking India's first projects of this kind. The initiatives, located at Choglamsar and Stakna in Leh district, aim to promote floriculture, diversify Ladakh's biodiversity, and create new livelihood opportunities for farmers.
Project Scale and Scope
The Choglamsar Floriculture Park will span 92,687 square metres, while the Stakna project at the School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, University of Ladakh, will cover more than 1.02 lakh square metres. Together, they represent over 1.94 lakh square metres of dedicated high-altitude floriculture space.
The Choglamsar park is being developed as one of the largest organised high-altitude floriculture parks in the country and is Ladakh's first dedicated floriculture initiative. The idea originated during the Lieutenant Governor's visit to the site on April 7, when he directed officials to transform the area into a specialised floriculture park.
Flowers and Training
The park will function as a demonstration and model centre, showcasing high-value flowers such as lilies, gladioli, tulips, and other ornamental species with strong demand in domestic and international markets. Beyond commercial cultivation, the park is expected to become a recreational and educational attraction for residents and tourists.
Farmers will receive specialised training in floriculture techniques. After training, the flower fields will be handed over to farmer cooperatives for commercial cultivation, enabling sustainable income generation and entrepreneurship.
Stakna Project and Scientific Support
The Stakna Floriculture Project is designed as a livelihood-generation and economic-diversification programme. It aims to establish a model centre for scientific flower cultivation in Ladakh, focusing on producing premium-quality cut flowers for metropolitan markets across India.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Department of Agriculture, UT Ladakh, and the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. Under this agreement, the institute will provide scientific and technical support for both projects.
Official Vision
Addressing the gathering, Lieutenant Governor Saxena said: “These projects are not merely about growing flowers; they are about creating opportunities, strengthening livelihoods and building a greener and more prosperous future for Ladakh. They will provide farmers and young entrepreneurs with a high-value economic activity while adding a unique dimension to Ladakh’s tourism sector.”
The floriculture initiatives are part of a broader vision for sustainable development in Ladakh, combining biodiversity conservation, economic growth, and tourism enhancement.
