Lockdown takes the scent off Bijnor flowers

Bijnor: Floriculturists in the district are facing a tough time as there are no takers for their flowers due to the lockdown.

In the absence of any demand, flower growers have been forced to throw away the blooms, while at same time, continue to spend money to look after the flowering plants.

According to officials, a section of farmers took up flower cultivation, hoping to reap high profits.

With government subsidy, they set up poly houses to grow flowers all year round. But when the flower season was at its peak, the country was put under lockdown following coronavirus outbreak. Since then, all flower mandis have closed. All social events have been cancelled.

The recent unseasonal storms have added to their problems, damaging the poly houses.

Talking with TOI, a flower grower of Agri village, 6km from district headquarters, Akhilesh Chaudhary said, "I have four poly houses in which I grow gerbera, carnation and daisies. Carnations bloom only once a year. But there are no buyers due to the lockdown. I have suffered a loss of Rs 30 lakh since March. I could not even recover input costs. Then, the recent storms, uprooted and ripped apart my poly house."

Another floriculturist of Nangal area, Himansu Tyagi, said, "The lockdown has crushed my dreams. My poly houses are blooming with roses. I have to virtually burn a hole in my pocket to look after the plants."

Tyagi urged government to take steps to help flower growers from complete ruin.

Confirming that floriculturists had suffered heavy losses, Narpal Malik, district horticulture officer, said, "We will look into the demand of growers about insurance of their poly houses."