Role of Floriculture Sector in Livelihood Security of Small Scale Family Farming in Intermediate Region of Jammu

The study was conducted in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir state (J&K) with 30 marigold growers to examine the production practices being practised. Ten flower growing farmers were selected randomly each from three blocks of district for collection of primary data by personal interview schedule method. The results revealed that majority of the farmers were young having age less than 45 years and are matriculate. The main occupation of majority (73.33%) of the respondents was flower farming with crop production and animal husbandry enterprises. Flower farming as a sole source of occupation was practised by none of the farmer. The average quantity of urea, DAP and MOP applied by the flower farmers was 0.84, 0.38 and 0.24 q/ha, respectively that was far less than recommendations. Very less number of farmers know about the diseases in marigold crop whereas only 13.3% farmers have knowledge of sucking pests and 10 percent each know about leaf eaters and stem borer insects. This study recommends that for encouraging results to improve farmer's socioeconomic condition, increase self-employment opportunity and to promote entrepreneurship as potential tool for poverty alleviation, more number of extension training programmes and exposure visits of the floriculturists should be organised on regular intervals.