Haryana’s flower growers incur huge losses, produce dries up amid lockdown

Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, May 28 

Farmers in Rohtak are in distress as they have faced huge losses and their flowers have dried up amid the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. During the shutdown, curbs were imposed on weddings, religious places and hotels, causing the demand for flowers to fall sharply.

The new season for flower cultivation is about to begin but many growers are finding it difficult to come to terms with the losses.

“I had grown marigold, gladiolus and chrysanthemum flowers over five acres at a cost of more than Rs 3 lakh. The harvesting of flowers started in March to meet the market demand in Delhi and various districts of Haryana. Flower supply halted suddenly following the lockdown clamped on March 24,” said Ajit Singh, a farmer from Marodhi Jatan village here.

Ajit Singh said he was expecting that the lockdown would be lifted after two weeks but it did not happen. The crops dried up in the field as there was no logic to harvest the flowers without any demand, he added.

Raj Kumar, another farmer, pointed out that March, April and May are the peak season for the flower industry because of the weddings, religious festivals and other functions held during this time.

“I have suffered heavy loss and will have to borrow money for cultivating the next crop,” he added.

District Horticulture Officer Hawa Singh said flower farming was done over 100 acres in Rohtak district. Marigold was the main crop while lily, rose, gladiolus and chrysanthemum were also grown.

“The flower growers had sold more than 40 per cent of their crop before the lockdown. The remaining crops dried up during the lockdown as they did not harvest those. Flower crops are cultivated twice a year and the growers used to earn attractive profit in the first season that is from February to May,” claimed Hawa Singh, adding that distressed farmers were approaching his office for financial support.