KATHMANDU, Nepal- At a time when Tihar, the second largest festival of Nepali people is at the doorsteps, the business of flower is increasing in the local market. Flowers are more important during Tihar as all want to decorate their homes with garlands and lights.
Although the prices of other essential commodities like sweets and dry fruits have been rising; the flower traders said that the price of flowers would not go up this year.
According to Floriculture Association of Nepal (FAN), domestic producer have started growing flower commercially and the local products will meet around 95 per cent demand of flower.
Consumers would get the flowers in last year’s price because only a few quantities of garlands of flower would be imported from the Indian market this year, the FAN informed.
The FAN has estimated that around 100,000 garlands will be imported this year while the rest will be supplied by domestic farmers.
Last year, 300,000 to 400,000 garlands were imported from India.
Flower is used to decorate houses during Tihar. Demand of marigold goes up significantly during this festival of lights. However, the local producers have been meeting the demand of marigold since last year.
The flourishing business of floriculture is becoming main source of income for many people in recent years.
More than 625 flower entrepreneurs are engaging in the floriculture and they grow flowers in an area of 120 hectares of land in 36 districts commercially, according the FAN.
According to the association, a marigold garland will cost around Rs 20-Rs 50 depending on the size. Similarly, a garland of Globe Amaranth will cost around Rs 25-Rs 50.
According to the data of Trade and Export Promotion Center, flowers worth Rs. 295,7 31,193 was exported from Nepal in 2011/12 whereas in 2009/2010 Nepal exported flowers worth Rs. 19,1, 453,039 in 2009/10.
Moreover, Rs. 3, 31, 66,355 cost of flower imported in 2011/12 and Rs 1, 11, 82,468 in 2009/10. The transaction of flower business was hit around Rs.1.05 billion in 2011/12.
The FAN recently had organized the three-day long Flower Fair in Lalitpur, in which flower transition hit over 2 million.
