The Hindu : Front Page : Flower auction centre plan for Hosur

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Sunday, Apr 27, 2008
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Flower auction centre plan for Hosur

S. Prasad

Hosur: An international flower auction centre is likely to come up in this major hub of floriculture.

The town now handles more than 35 per cent of the cut flowers traded in the country. Roses are cultivated on about 500 ha in the region. The region has more than 20 hi-tech floriculture units spread over 120 ha.

The plan is for an auction centre on the lines of the International Flower Auction Centre (IFAB) in Bangalore. IFAB gets a major chunk of the flowers handled by it from the Hosur region.

The establishment of an auction centre here has the potential to reduce transportation costs and provide direct marketing support for small and marginal farmers from the region. It is meant to have facilities for cold storage and packing, for both buyers and growers.

A state-of-the-art electronic auction system and facilities for online bidding for cut flowers are envisaged.

Informed sources said that two hectares of land had been identified for the purpose near Hosur. The financial and operational viability of the project were being worked out.

Tanflora, a joint venture between the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) and private promoters, is the country’s first Agri Export Zone (AEZ) for cut roses and one of the largest such facilities.

The district administration has decided to involve youngsters and small retailers to set up model nurseries in clusters under the National Horticulture Mission. The State already has four such clusters at Thally, Kelamangalam and Berigai.

Tanflora has established infrastructural facilities for small and marginal farmers in and around the park. It will help small farmers and private entrepreneurs to put up polygreen houses, in selecting varieties and in marketing.

The sources said Hosur’s potential in the floriculture industry remains largely untapped.

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