By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Nov. 24: With the demand of flower remaining constant in all seasons, farmers at Gundu of Bhaktapur, who used to grow makhamali flower in the past, are now attracted towards marigold flower cultivation.
The demand for marigold and makhamali is especially high during Tihar festival. With the end of Tihar, the demand for makhamali has fizzled out, while that for marigold remains intact, said Anita Basnet, a resident of Gundu.
Basnet, who has been in floriculture business for more than 20 years, has shifted her business from makhamali to Marigold flower.
Cultivation of marigold flower has become a source of regular income for people here, so they are increasingly inclined to its business.
“We can benefit from marigold flower because its demand is not limited to one season. After the Tihar festival, its demand soars during Thulo Ekadashi, and it is regularly used in other festivals and functions, whether at home, part-palace or temple,” she said.
“A family-of-eight earn their livelihoods from floriculture business, with the profit of Rs. 400,000 a year,” she added.
She has planted marigold flower in two ropanis of land, where she and her husband grow the flower.
Apart from that, farmers earn more money with less effort when they cultivate marigold, she added.
Yogita Lamichhane Basnet, another flower trader and farmer from the same place, said that floriculture business had become better than previous years with increasing production as well as demand, and that traders themselves visit the farmer’s’ home and flower garden to collect flowers.
“As farmers get good money from flowers even without having to take their produce to the market, more and more farmers are growing flowers in their farms,” she added.
She has been in floriculture business for seven years already, and has planted marigold flower in her 14 -anna-land.
“While marigold is normally planted in open sky, farmers prefer planting them inside the plastic tunnel so that the plants survive and yields more,” she said.
Gundu-7 and Dadhikot-4 of the Municipality are known for floriculture. Flowers there are grown in around 50 hectares of land.
Around 100 hectors of land is used to grow flowers in Bhaktapur, according to the Municipality.