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Will the business bloom?
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The growers of anthuriums and orchids in the city need to get their act together to transform Thiruvananthapuram into a centre of flower trade.
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THE SPIRITS of anthurium and orchid growers in the city are drooping as they find fewer avenues to market their flowers.
With the floriculture bubble of the early 1990s having burst, the growers are left with stocks of flowers and no avenues to sell them.
"Things are so bad that I am on the verge of bankruptcy," says K. G. Vijayan, who grows anthuriums and orchids at Kattakada, on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram. Vijayan claims eight other persons with whom he had set up business have had to sell their assets to repay the debts. "A few days ago, the bank served me a notice for eviction."
Says Aisha Sayed of Shalimar nurseries, who also runs a farm at Konni, "The only reason I am sticking to this business is that I have been doing this for the past 30 to 40 years."
Bhuvana Rajan of Canopy Gardens says no concerted steps have been taken to market these flowers outside the State.
Bodies such as the Federation of Indian Floriculture, the Kerala Cut Flowers Producers Society and Hortica too have proved ineffective, the growers allege.
Says Bhuvana, "The floriculture industry got a fillip in the 1990s. But things have changed today. Many people who entered the field then have had to wind up their business. Those who remain have not expanded into large-scale commercial production. Consequently, we have failed to capitalise on the huge market for these flowers in places such as Delhi and Mumbai."
Agrees Nissar of Al-Minar Gardens, who markets orchids and anthuriums all over the country, "There is hardly anyone in the city who is into commercial production. Very often, a grower would have 10 different varieties of these flowers. When a bulk order arrives with specifications of variety, size and colour, we find it impossible to meet the demand. Clients in Delhi and Mumbai, therefore, do not show much interest in our flowers."
Problems are aplenty, growers say. For one, lack of proper guidance. Says Bhuvana, "People still grow different varieties of orchids and anthuriums. These are even traded among growers as if they were a collector's item. However, the market needs multiples of the same varieties for purposes such as flowers arrangement and decoration. Growers here are still not aware of the market realities and so lose out to others."
Says B. Satheesh of Meena Nursery, "Three of us from the city send their anthuriums and orchids to the same shop in Mumbai. This just goes to prove how little our production is."
Says Vijayan, "The Agriculture Department evinces a lot of interest, but bureaucratic procedures bog us down. For instance, for every consignment of Rs. 2,500, sent through the airlines, we have to obtain a clearance certificate from the Department of Agriculture. Similarly, the freight charges are very high."
Nissar says the airlines fix the freight charges on the basis of the actual weight or volume weight, whichever is higher. "If I want to send a kilo of flowers to Delhi, I will have to pay Rs. 62 as freight charges. So, if I send 100 flowers weighing 10 kg in a large-size carton (to avoid damage), I pay Rs. 680 per carton because of the high volume weight. To this, add the statistical charges of Rs. 60 and the sum comes to Rs. 720. Thus, I end up paying Rs. 7.20 as freight charges per flower," he says.
Bhuvana alleges that the Government is not doing anything to address such issues. "While it becomes uneconomical for us to transport flowers to Delhi and Mumbai, second quality flowers from countries such as Thailand flood the markets in these cities, thanks to the subsidies offered by the airlines."
Nissar says the Indian Airlines have offered discounts on the transport of over 100 kg of flowers, but stocking such huge quantities every day is not possible, he says, except during the season, which lasts from late October to March.
Satheesh points out that other States have stolen a march over Kerala as far as production goes. "Coorg in Karnataka has emerged as a major production centre for these flowers. Anthuriums and orchids are being grown even in Tamil Nadu these days."
Says Vijayan, "During the winter months, the demand for flowers increases in north India. However, the production in places such as Coorg falls owing to the cold climate. In Kerala too, the flowers don't grow very well in these months, but we are not affected on the scale that Coorg is. This is the time to make hay, but it doesn't happen."
Payment problems drive many to ruin. Bhuvana says clients very often do not pay citing damages or non-receipt of flowers.
Says V. K. Karthikeyan, who runs Seaside Farms at Puthenthope, "Here, the growers are not organised. Only if we come together can the market be turned in our favour. People with large businesses may be able to market the flowers, but in Thiruvananthapuram, most are home-based ventures, growing a few varieties each. Each man can't satisfy the market. So, these small-scale growers have to come together to collect the flowers in sufficient quantities so as to be able to market these and derive income."
He says that though floriculture had changed in nature from a hobby to a business over a period of time, people were yet to acquire the know-how to market it. "A collective effort will help them gather the latest information, conduct training programmes and keep abreast of the developments on the international arena," says Karthikeyan. The Government, he says, can pitch in on the research and development front.
As regards variety and quality, it is imperative that the growers produce according to the requirements of the market, says Agriculture director K. R. Jyothilal. Lack of cooperation among the growers is harming their interest, he adds. The growers undercut each other, and they are at the mercy of the trader. "Keeping these factors in mind, the Government plans to play the role of a facilitator. We have requested for an outlet at the Travancore House in New Delhi."
Whether the growers come together with a common interest and are successful in projecting Thiruvananthapuram as a centre of flower trade in the State remains to be seen.
R. K. ROSHNI
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