KATHMANDU, Sept 11: In line with the government plan to make the country self-reliant on flowers, Minister for Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives for Province 3, Dawa Dorje Lama has refused to wear garland made of imported flowers.

At the 26th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Floriculture Association Nepal (FAN), Lama said he would only wear a garland if it were made of flowers grown within the country.

Addressing the meeting, Lama said that everybody should focus on promoting the country's productive sectors. "Our country is in need of increased domestic production. But production enough will not do, it should be widely promoted as well,” he said. "Everyone should get chance to use flowers produced within the country. We need flowers for many different festivals here, and we need to be self-dependent on it."

According to the FAN, the country is still 20 percent dependent on other countries for flowers, mainly India. There is high demand for flowers during festivities such as the upcoming Dashain and Tihar festivals. In the previous fiscal year, the country consumed flowers worth Rs 1.86 billion. Flower demand is increasing by 10 to 15 percent each year, according to the association.

The minister further said that not a single piece of cultivable land should remain useless. "If all cultivable land were utilized, the country could easily become self-reliant on agriculture," he said. "At present, we need appropriate strategies and policies for commercial agriculture. Our focus should be toward promoting commercial farming."

He also called upon all to be accountable toward the nation, and work within their own capacities so that foreign migration for employment could be stopped. "Like in every other sector, there is lack of skilled manpower in agriculture. All the people going abroad should come back to their country and utilize the resources here so that economic activities are generated here and we become a prosperous nation," he added.

Also speaking on the occasion, Umesh Lal Shrestha, vice president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) raised the issue of land ownership for floriculture. "It is not advisable to farm flowers on leased land," he said. "The government should take initiative toward providing appropriate land for flower farming."

On a different topic, Shrestha criticized the government for making new policies on tax without discussing with the private sector. "New laws regarding taxation are affecting industries and entrepreneurs," he said, adding, "The government should create an industry-friendly environment."

 
• self-dependency
 
• flower