Chitwan:Recent rainfall over the course of four days has caused significant damage to various flowers cultivated in the district. The rains affected flowers that had already bloomed, raising severe concerns among florists as the Tihar festival approaches, which typically sees an increase in flower demand.
According to National News Agency RSS, Dipak Pakhrin from Bharatpur Metropolitan City-26 reported that 70 percent of flowers on his farm were damaged. He noted that the rain occurred before the flowers could be harvested and brought to market, resulting in broken twigs and flowers that turned black and wilted. Pakhrin, who has cultivated marigolds on two bighas of land, explained that the cost for cultivating flowers on one bigha of land exceeds Rs 150,000. Despite plans to harvest and sell the flowers, the rainfall has disrupted these efforts, and demand has also been lacking.
Swastika Chauhan, a horticulture development officer at the District Agricultural Development Office in Chitwan, stated that 60 to 70 percent of flowers planted in the district had bloomed, and more than half of these were damaged by the rain. Floriculture in Chitwan covers 44 hectares, producing an estimated 1,000 kilograms of flowers per hectare. The expected production was intended to meet local needs and supply neighboring districts. However, due to the adverse effects of the rainfall, flower prices in the market are likely to increase this year compared to last year.
Despite the setbacks, the area dedicated to commercial flower cultivation has expanded this year, with 44 hectares allocated for marigold farming, up from 21.92 hectares last year. The district is home to as many as 555 varieties of flowers.