Flower mandi to come up at Parwanoo

10 shops and an auction platform to be constructed till June-end

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, April 22

The work to construct the state’s first flower mandi at Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Parwanoo has begun with 10 shops and an auction platform to be constructed till June end.

A team of officials comprising Baldev Bhandari, chairman, HP State Agriculture Marketing Board, Naresh Thakur, managing director, Sanjeev Kashyap, chairman APMC, Solan, and staff of the engineering wing inspected the site yesterday.

Kashyap informed that efforts are afoot to ensure that 10 shops and one auction platform are constructed by June 30. Staff of the engineering wing has been directed to ensure this.

“Keen to facilitate the floriculturists of the state, a meeting headed by the Chief Minister was held with the floriculturists of the state as well as those engaged in its sale at Gazipur flower mandi in Delhi to chalk out its nitty-gritty. It is being set up in the marketing yard of the APMC, Parwanoo, as there was adequate space available”, added Kashyap.

“The presence of a flower mandi at Parwanoo will facilitate the flower growers of Solan, Sirmaur and other areas who were now going to Gazipur and other markets in North India to sell their produce. The problems faced by them in selling and transporting their produce will not be faced any longer with this mandi becoming funtional”, added Kashyap.

Floriculture is practiced in Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan, Chamba, Bilaspur, Kullu, Mandi and Kangra districts as part of crop diversification by the people to supplement their income. About 650 hectares of land is under floriculture in the state out of which 98 per cent area is under protected cultivation while 86 hectares is under shaded net houses.

The natural agro climatic conditions in most parts of the state are ideal for production of flowers and its planting material. The need for expensive heating and cooling systems in the greenhouses is eliminated due to this advantage. Some exotic species of flowers are also cultivated in poly houses.