Kaligandaki sells flowers worth Rs. 1.5 million

By Our Correspondent

Waling, Nov. 5: Kaligandaki Rural Municipality of Syangja has sold marigold flowers worth Rs. 1.5 million in Tihar festival this year. 

The rural municipality has collected flowers produced by farmers within the rural municipality and supplied them to various markets of the district as well as Palpa, Kaski, Rupandehi and other districts.

The rural municipality has collected and sold marigold produced by three schools and 17 farmers of the rural municipality who have been producing flowers commercially in the different markets.

Chairman of the rural municipality Khim Bahadur Thapa said around 15,000 garlands and 2,000 kilos of flowers produced by the farmers of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality were sold during Tihar festival. 

Chairman Thapa said that the income will increase as the flowers can be supplied to the market by January, 2025. 

Last year, the farmers of the rural municipality earned more than Rs. 3 million from the cultivation of marigold flowers.

He said that the rural municipality is preparing to provide subsidy to farmers based on the production this year.

Last year, the rural municipality had provided 50 per cent subsidy based on the cost of production last year.

Anup Paudel, head of the agriculture branch of the rural municipality, said that flower is being cultivated commercially in more than 40 ropanies of land within the rural municipality.

The rural municipality has designated pocket areas in different wards for flower cultivation. 

Paudel said that commercial flower cultivation is being done in places like Dharadi of Ward No. 1, Lasargha of Ward No. 2, Deurali of Ward No. 3, Banstari, Tap and Ligaha of Ward No. 5, Kunadi and Ismil of Ward No. 6 and Barichour of Ward No. 7. 

Similarly, Dhrubajyoti Secondary School, Deurali Secondary School and Mirmi Primary School have been cultivating flowers with the support of the municipality under the study and earn programme.

Chief Administrative Officer of the rural municipality Parshuram Upadhyay said that the rural municipality cooperated with the Heifer Project for flower production and marketing. 

He said, "Working in partnership made marketing very easy."

Ghan Bahadur Thapa, chairman of Namuna Barichour Commercial Floriculture in Kaligandaki Rural Municiplaity-7, said that they were relieved when the rural municipality took the responsibility for the sale of flowers. 

He said, "The rural municipality has been facilitating marketing, our focus is only on production."