Srinagar: The ‘Poplar Commission’ constituted by the government held its second meeting on Tuesday at Forest Complex Sheikh Bagh under the chairmanship of Mohit Gera, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and HoFF.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that the commission has been constituted to advise the government on various aspects of introduction, cultivation, utilisation, and regulation of poplars as well as for the formulation of policy on poplar cultivation in J&K.
The first of its kind in the country, the commission has been constituted with experts drawn from Forest Department, Social Forestry Department, SKUAST, and allied fields including representatives from wood-based industry, poplar growing farmers, and nursery growers.
Gera took a review of the deliberations and decisions made in the first meeting of the commission as well as the report submitted by the chairmen of the three committees constituted during the first meeting on the introduction of fast-growing varieties, cultivation, and utilisation of poplars in J&K.
The committees have suggested new varieties for the introduction, and cultivation of poplars to enhance productivity and quality.
Special emphasis has been given to the cultivation of highly productive clones procured only from the registered nurseries so that only male poplar clones were cultivated which would not produce cotton perceived as pollen and source of allergy. The commission also discussed the legal mechanism for registration of poplar nurseries so that planting material could be regulated in the interest of quality to facilitate farmers to utilise only the good varieties of poplar.
Certain suggestions on making different products, mainly plywood veneer and pencil making were also received which would provide raw material to these wood-based industries.