Kerala sees record flower yield by women farmer groups for Onam

Kochi: Local products are the mainstay of Onam celebrations. However, this year a change occurred as flowers were grown by women farmer groups under the Kudumbashree Mission. Officials of the mission said the bumper flower farming in Kerala has broken all the previous records. Overall, 1,253 acres of land were covered under flower cultivation, involving 3,000 women farmer groups.

The initial target was to cover 1,000 acres of land for floriculture in 2024, but it was surpassed. Credit should be given to women farmers for this achievement. Some neighbouring states have also grown flowers on a large scale in view of earning a hefty amount in the Onam market. Flowers were supplied to Kerala from Karnataka’s Gundalpet and several other regions of Tamil Nadu.

Harvesting got underway in several regions after getting orders. In the beginning, members have received Rs 10,000 like loans through community development societies (CDS). But farmers have to return this fund to the Kudumbashree Mission. Additionally, farmers can take high amounts as loans for large-scale cultivation to fulfill their expenses regarding cultivation.

The primary focus was to grow marigold, especially the Arabian marigold; its demand is high due to size and resilience. In addition, several other flowers like jasmine, lotus, and chrysanthemum were also cultivated on a large scale. Previous year, a total of 1,819 farmer groups were engaged in floriculture on 780 acres of land. This year, the initial target was thousand acres, but exceeded

The flower business is replete with profit. Although unusual rains created disruptions in many regions, farmers were assured that all the harvested flowers would be marketed through the mission. Currently, Kudumbashree’s flowers are available in more than 2,000 Onam markets and other places in Kerala.