-SATISH HANDA

Flower farming in Haryana was profitable for growers since beginning as compared to cultivation of other seasonal crops like wheat, paddy, maize, Sugar cane and vegetables since entire production of flowers was consumed at country’s biggest Gazipur market at Delhi. But flower growers in Haryana has suffered heavy losses in cultivation of flowers due to COVID-19 epidemic outbreak in the country when sale of flowers was adversely affected in past over a year due to frequent lock down and curfew declared by the government. Moreover, there was complete ban over visiting religious places, restrictions on marriage celebrations, private as well as political functions in which flowers are consumed as such farmers involved in flower cultivation had to suffer a lot due to demand recession and most of the flowers dried in agriculture farms, destroyed and farmers had to throw incurring them heavy financial loss.

According to information Jind, Faridabad and Gurugram districts are famous for cultivation of flowers in the state due to being nearer to Delhi having bulk requirement of flowers round the year in wholesale vegetable and fruit markets especially at Gazipur the biggest wholesale flower market throughout the year. According to farmers, marigold flower cultivation is being done in nearly 100 acres area at and around village Aahirka in Jind district facing severe harm in past over a year in the absence of demand of flowers and farmers suffered heavy loss even unable to recover cost of production of flowers. Similarly, farmers cultivated flowers including marigold, rose and jasmine in large number of  villages in hundreds acre area around Fatehpur and adjoining area in Faridabad district and over 400 growers cultivated  Rajnigandha, gladium, rose and marigold flowers too suffered heavy set back in this period  due to poor demand of flowers in Delhi markets as well as severe transport problem due to farmers’ agitations at the borders and Toll Plaza as well as passenger train service cancelled by the  railways. Farmers told that they failed to deliver flowers in time and had to bring back unsold stocks and had to destroy the same causing them hundred percent loss.

Farmers involved in cultivation of flowers in Haryana told that they are unable to sell flowers in Delhi wholesale market even at the rate of Rs 5 per kg which is much lesser than their production cost between Rs 25000 to 30000 per acre  area producing flowers ranging between 100 to 200 quintals apart from spending Rs 3 per kg towards cutting flowers from the plants and spending amount worth Rs 10 per kg on spraying and irrigation of plants. Flower growers told that earlier they were selling flowers in wholesale market at the rate Rs 200 per kg and during ‘Navratras’ in the year 2020 the price dropped to between Rs 60 to 70 per kg, but during lock down period there was no sale even at the rate Rs 4 to5 per kg. Information reveals, most of the farmers earlier cultivating flowers in Haryana state has now changed the pattern of crops.