Mandi: Farmers of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, are taking more interest in flower farming compared to traditional crops; growing flowers has brought a lot of prosperity in the entire region. Farmers are extracting oil from marigold flowers, fetching prices between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000 per liter. This new innovative has been proving a boon for them. The state government started a scheme called Mehak Yojana, promoting floriculture and providing subsidies of up to 85% to help flower growers.
Farmers get Rs 30,000 per hectare to grow wild marigold under this scheme, emerging as a high-value crop in the region. Darshan Lal, a farmer from Padhar, has now become a role model for the local farmers. With the help of government subsidy of Rs 2.5 lakh, he established a storage shed and started cultivating wild marigold on 12 bighas of land. His hard work as well as the government’s help have raised his annual income around Rs 2 lakh annually. Other farmers have also taken an interest in wild marigold farming to become prosperous.
The installation of an oil extraction unit by the Himalayan Bioresource Technology Institute in Palampur has changed the destiny of flower growers of the region . Farmers were selling marigold flowers locally at Rs 23 per kg, avoiding going to far-flung areas to save transportation costs. This facility produces oil that is giving high prices in the market.
The Horticulture Department is encouraging farmers to expand into other medicinal and aromatic plants like rosemary and lemongrass, with subsidies of up to 50%. They also provide training, exposure visits, and pest management support to ensure successful farming. With its high profitability, low risk, and strong government backing, wild marigold farming is transforming Padhar into a flourishing floriculture hub.
