Demand for ‘Kashmiri Nadru’ continuously increasing: PM Modi

New Delhi: In his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out the rising demand for lotus stems in Kashmir, which is known by the local name of ‘Nadru’.

“Whenever we talk about Kashmir or Srinagar, the pictures of the mountains and Dal jheel come in front of us. We all want to enjoy the scenic beauty, but there is one more speciality attached to it. Dal jheel is also known for its delicious Lotus stems. They are known by different names in the country, and in Kashmir, they are referred to as ‘Nadru’,” he said.

He added said that looking at the rising demand for Nadru, the farmers have created a Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO), and 250 farmers have become a part of it.

“Today, the farmers are able to export the FPOs to foreign countries. Recently, they sent two sets to UAE. This is not just taking up the name of Kashmir, but also increasing the income of the farmers,” he said.

PM Modi also talked about the farmers who have shifted towards growing lavender and the benefits they are receiving through the government’s Aroma scheme.

“Another effort by the Kashmiri farmers is spreading the fragrance of its success. Actually, there is a small town Bhadarwah, in the Doda district of Jammu & Kashmir. The farmers there traditionally used to grow maize, but some farmers decided to do something innovative. They shifted towards floriculture. Under this, around 2,500 farmers are growing lavender. They have also benefitted from the Aroma scheme of the government. This has increased their income several times. And today, along with the lavender, the fragrance of their success is also spreading,” he added.

The Prime Minister also shared about the events regarding the celebration of the 400th birth anniversary of Vir Lachit Barphukan.

“I would like to share a story from Assam, which also promotes the theme of ‘Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat’. You all know that we are celebrating the 400th birth anniversary of Vir Lachit Barphukan. He had got Assam free from the cruel rule of the Mughals. Today, the country is getting to know about his valour. We also organised an essay writing competition on his life,” he said.

PM Modi added, “You all would be surprised to know that we received more than 45,000 essays. This has become a Guinness World Record, and more importantly, these essays were received in 23 different languages”.