KATHMANDU: With the Tihar festival just around the corner, the flower sellers are all set to make a successful business capitalizing on the festive season.
Flowers are largely used during the Tihar festival as flowers and lights hold special importance during the festival. Flowers especially marigold, makhamali and chrysanthemum are imported from India as the production of these flowers in Nepal does not meet the demands of the local consumers.
People plant marigold, makhamali and chrysanthemum flowers on the premises and in their gardens to decorate their houses. Courtyard and premises are seen full of flowers blooming nowadays.
The flower business in Nepal had started in 1954. The number of people investing in the floral industry is increasing day by day since then.
Currently, flowers are grown in an area of 157 hectors across 43 districts in the country. But the local production does not meet the demands of local consumers.
Flower traders are planning to import 250,000 marigold garlands from India targeting this Thiar even though 20,000 garlands are imported on a daily basis, said Kumar Shrestha, chairperson of FAN, told Khabarhub.
Floriculture Association Nepal (FAN) said that Nepal has to annually import flowers from neighboring countries since they do not bloom on time and those which bloom are largely local.
Nepali people have to import marigold flowers from India specially for making garlands, bouquets and for decorations, say flower sellers.
Nepal imports marigold worth millions of rupees for Tihar
Flower traders are planning to import 250,000 marigold garlands from India targeting this Thiar even though 20,000 garlands are imported on a daily basis, said Kumar Shrestha, chairperson of FAN, told Khabarhub.
“We need 1.8 million garlands for this Tihar,” said Shrestha, adding, “We are preparing to bring in 1.5 million garlands from various parts of the country while the remaining 250,000 garlands will be imported from neighboring countries including India.”
Similarly, there is a demand of makhamali and marigold garlands worth Rs 70 million.
The transaction of flowers business last year had been put at Rs 2.42 billion, of which flowers worth Rs 190 million had been imported from foreign countries.
According to Shrestha, 20 percent of the flowers consumed is imported from India while the remaining is managed locally.
When will Nepal be independent of flowers?
Six decades on, but the floral industry has not attracted farmers and youths so far in Nepal. Hence, Nepal has to import flowers annually.
The FAN three years ago had introduced a fifth-year plan with the aim of making Nepal independent.
The demand for flowers is increasing by 10 to 15 percent every year, said Shrestha.
Gradually, people have understood the importance of flowers and started investing in the floral industry.
“Over 7,000 people have been engaged in the floral industry, providing employment to over 43,500 people, currently,” shared Shrestha.
He further said that Nepal can be independent of flowers if the government encouraged farmers and youths to invest in floriculture and provided necessary training.
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