KATHMANDU, Nov 1: Officials of Floriculture Association of Nepal (FAN) on Sunday said the country will not see shortage of flowers during Tihar despite Tarai unrest and Indian blockade.
At a press meet organized in Kathmandu to inform about the upcoming flower exhibition, FAN officials said the country is self-sufficient in flowers like chrysanthemum, marigold and globe amaranth which are in high demand during Tihar.
“We had been importing marigold only during festive seasons like Tihar. This year we are optimistic that local production will be sufficient to meet the festive demand as production is likely to grow significantly,” Lok Nath Gaire, president of FAN, said, adding that the country is self-sufficient on chrysanthemum and globe amaranth.
Scarcity of flowers and garlands during Tihar
Around 400,000 garlands of market are needed for Tihar celebrations, according to FAN officials. Last year, florists had imported around 150,000 marigold garlands for Tihar.
Gaire also said traders are in no mood to import flowers from India for Tihar due to obstructions in border crossings. “We might import marigold in small volume if needed,” he added.
'GODAVARI MELA' from Nov 5
Meanwhile, FAN is organizing 'Godawari Mela' at Jawalakhel Football Ground, Lalitpur from Thursday.
The four-day event is being organized to promote local flowers, especially seasonal flowers like chrysanthemum, and increase export of flowers and flower products.
Speaking at the press meet, Dilip Bade, coordinator of the exhibition, said, there will be a total of 36 stalls at the expo. “Domestic floriculture market is growing at the rate of 15 percent every year,” Bade said, adding, “Events like this will help in promotion of domestic floriculture industry and expansion of commercial flower farming in Nepal.”
According to FAN, floriculture is done in nearly 137 hectares of land in 40 districts.
