Himachal’s flowers demand boost amid huge demand

Shimla: Flower growers in Himachal Pradesh have a merry time amid the ongoing marriage season and Valentine’s Day. The price of flowers is high in the market because lovebirds are roaming from shop to shop to get the best possible bouquet or basket so that they can impress their counterparts. This day comes once a year. As per the traders, it is a time for the flower growers to earn a hefty amount.

As per the owner of Universal Traders, Amit Sood, the demand for flowers is growing and prices have raised almost doubled. Flowers are coming to Delhi and Punjab and other states from Himachal Pradesh. Carnation growers, for instance, are selling their flowers at Rs 400 per bunch in the wholesale market, compared to the usual Rs 200-250 per bunch.

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The demand for red roses is touching the sky. Shishu Patial, a rose grower from Kangra district, said that the price per rose stick has gone up from Rs 30 to Rs 50, and it is being sold at a very high price today due to Valentine Day.

Currently, farmers are taking a lot of interest in growing flowers in Himachal Pradesh, and the annual sales have touched about Rs 80 crore to Rs 100 crore. More than 3,000 families are directly involved in the floriculture sector.

Cooperative societies in different places like Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Shimla, and Solan have been established, playing a key role in the high yield of flowers and their marketing. At present, Himachal is being a hub for the cultivation of varieties of flowers such as carnations, chrysanthemums, roses, lilies, gerberas, marigolds, gladiolus, and so on. Around 285 hectares of land in Himachal Pradesh are used for floriculture.