Kathmandu: Flowers worth Rs 500 million have been sold during the Tihar festival this year with the highest transaction recorded in the Kathmandu Valley. President of the Floriculture Association of Nepal (FAN), Dilip Bade, stated that the transaction of flowers this year is close to last year’s figures.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the consumer price of a normal flower garland this year was Rs 100 on average. FAN president Bade mentioned that the flower trade became easier during the Tihar festival as the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) had designated specific venues for selling flowers, allocating 46 places for farmers to sell their produce.
The market for flowers reportedly increases by 15 to 20 percent each year, while production growth remains at 10 percent. Although domestic production meets the demand for ‘makhamali’ (globe amaranth) and ‘godavari’ (chrysanthemum), marigold and red rose varieties need to be imported from India.
Flower cultivation for commercial purposes has expanded to
52 districts, including Kaski, Chitwan, Makawanpur, Kavrepalanchowk, Gulmi, Palpa, Dhading, Morang, and the three districts of the Kathmandu Valley. According to Bade, flowers of 450 species are cultivated for commercial purposes, benefiting more than 44,000 people. A total of 1,184 farmers are engaged in commercial flower cultivation on 221 hectares of land.