Hosur: Tanflora Floriculture Infrastructure Park at Amudhagondapalli near here has started commercial production and export of cut roses, recently.

A joint venture between the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) and private promoters, the infrastructure park is considered one of the largest floriculture projects in the world in cut roses. It has a production capacity of 67 million rose stems a year, specially produced for major importing countries.

With 25 member units spread over 50 hectares, the park has common facilities including cold storage, irrigation and fertigation. Tanflora does the marketing. Over 30 varieties of roses are cultivated in greenhouses on the farm and about 110 varieties have been planted on trial basis.

Sources in Tanflora said that out of the 50 hectares, planting of roses has been completed in about 10 hectares, with two hectares being added every week.

The entire infrastructure in the floriculture park had been computerized and connected to satellite. A total of 80,000 sq. feet of fully insulated, state-of-the-art grading hall has been built as a common facility for growers and necessary processing facilities were being established.

Improved fertigation systems with weather stations and water storage facilities have been imported from Israel and Holland respectively. Water tanks with a capacity of 71 lakh litres have been put up.

All the growers have started construction of greenhouses, which are in different stages of completion. Commercial production and export has commenced in some units. Shipments have already commenced to Middle East, Far East and CIS countries.

For value addition, Tanflora has entered into a formal agreement for bouquet making with supermarkets in Japan and Europe. Eyeing the huge market potential, the park has entered into strategic marketing agreements with major importers in Europe, Japan and Australia.

Processing facilities would be established in Tokyo, Frankfurt, London, Sydney and Dubai shortly. Heavy exports are anticipated from the park. Tanflora would be a major exporter of cut roses from the Indian Sub-continent for 2007 Valentines Day. It is keen to expand to other countries once the project is fully implemented, sources said.

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