The Hindu : Karnataka News : Floriculture has made their life easy

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Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Floriculture has made their life easy

Vijaykumar Patil

The farmers of Saundatti taluk have worked hard to reap a good harvest

FLOURISHING: A farmer in his bounteous field after he shifted to floriculture

Budigoppa (Belgaum District): “Floriculture has turned out to be remunerative and made our life easy,” said 60-year-old Shivaputrappa Yellappa Sannamanavar, a marginal farmer with less than two-and-a-half acres of land in this village of Saundatti taluk.

It was about three years ago when he decided to shift from traditional crops to modern floriculture. He is happy that he did not take a wrong decision at this time of his life.

The growing floriculture industry, as in the case of Mr. Sannamanavar’s, is bringing smiles on the faces of farmers and filling their lives with fresh enthusiasm.

He was impressed with the prospects of floriculture and growing demand for flowers in urban markets, albeit the risks involved in shifting to the new method of cultivation. However, every member in the family joined hands and decided to work hard and see results. Initially, they planted “shevantige”, a local name for chrysanthemum, in half-an-acre of land.

They worked hard to reap a good harvest, indeed. Soon, they sunk a borewell to expand the area and ensure water to the flower crop round the year. Today, traditional crops such as jowar, maize and groundnut have been replaced by varieties of flowers.

His annual income from the fields has now gone up from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 80,000 or more, depending upon the prices in the market.

Many small and marginal farmers have embraced floriculture for the simple reason that it is more remunerative than some of the other traditional crops.

Mahantesh Dundappa Patil and Hanmanthappa Kuppad of Budigoppa, Doddamariappa Yellappa of Aladagatti and others in the adjoining villages falling under Yerjarvi Gram Panchayat have shifted to floriculture, thanks to the Centrally-sponsored National Horticulture Mission.

The Union Government formulated the mission with an objective of developing horticulture to its maximum potential available in different States, including Karnataka.

The scheme, which aims at augmenting production of all horticulture products such as fruits, vegetables and flowers on commercial basis and generating employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled persons, was initially introduced in a few select districts in the State during 2005-06.

However, the Union Government conceded the request of the State Government to include Belgaum district under the scheme considering the congenial weather conditions and soil fertility in the district at the end of the same year (2005-06), K.B. Dundi, Deputy Director of Horticulture Department, told The Hindu in Belgaum recently.

Mr. Sannammanavar and Mr. Yellappa said they were initially apprehensive of shifting to floriculture. However, they were impressed with the prospects of floriculture as presented by the authorities of the Horticulture Department and decided to try their luck. The immediate reason to shift to floriculture was the meagre income from traditional crops and the pressures of the growing cost of living.

Mr. Patil said it was about three years ago when a few farmers took to floriculture to cultivate ornamental and aromatic flowers such as gerbera, gladiolus, tuberose, chrysanthemum and different varieties of rose. They availed themselves of training from experts in the department, toiled hard and started reaping benefits from the fourth month itself.

They had no difficulty in selling flowers in the readily available markets in major cities such as Pune, Hubli and Belgaum where they got anywhere between Rs. 5 to Rs. 30 for every kilogram of flowers, including chrysanthemum. The prices for other flowers are more than Rs. 30 a kg in the wholesale markets.

Mr. Yellappa said floriculture is possible under assured irrigation conditions and skilled hands. Unlike other crops, flower harvesting was throughout the year. The yield from each plant was five or six times a year and 20 to 60 quintals in every acre of land. Despite fluctuations in the market, the growers were earning not less than Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000 from every acre of land. There are other big growers who are making fortunes by earning anywhere between Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh in a year. However, a constant watch was needed against diseases to the crop.

Mr. Dundi said flowers are being grown in about 400 acres in Budigoppa, Nunganahatti and two adjoining villages in Saundatti taluk. More farmers were showing interest in floriculture in the district.

Initially, floriculture was taken up in 492 hectares of land in six taluks of the district during 2004-05. Subsequently, the area increased to 558.55 hectares in the following year and 745.70 hectares in 2006-07. The department had decided to add another 1,000 hectares of land in the financial year 2007-08, he added.

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