Flower farmers facing losses due to rains

Flower farmers facing losses due to rains

PUNE: Yet again, the rain has played a spoilsport during the festive season. The flower farmers don’t have a reason to smile this Diwali as the flowers are not being sold at a good price. Nearly 70 per cent of the total produce is either wet or has been spoiled. The flowers such as marigold and chrysanthemum which are in huge demand during Diwali are not getting good prices. 

The damages are so high that it is impossible for the farmers to recover the cost of production.

The President of Akhil Pune Flower Market Aadte Association, Arun Veer, said, “Almost 70 per cent of the flowers which are coming in the market are wet. Due to this, they are getting spoiled very quickly and are being sold at a very less rate irrespective of the demand. Marigold is being sold at Rs 10, while only 20 per cent of total arrival which is of good quality is being sold at Rs 50.”

He further added, “In Pune, a major produce of marigold comes from Solapur, Satara and Osmanabad, while chrysanthemum mostly comes from Yavat near Solapur road. The extended rainfall in all these areas has damaged the  flowers.” 

“This is happening for the first time during Diwali that farmers are unable to get good money,” Arun Veer said.

Sharad Gaikwad, a farmer from Purandar who grows chrysanthemum in two acres of land, said, “Due to excessive rainfall, almost 80 per cent of the flowers are wet and they easily become black as we cannot even stock them. It is also difficult for us to pluck flowers from the field due to waterlogging. I have invested almost Rs 1.5 lakh for the production but due to rains I am unable to recover the cost.”

Appa Ghorade, another farmer from Yavat village, said, “I have five acres of land of marigold and chrysanthemum and almost 90 per cent of the flowers are wet due to ongoing rains. Due to the continuous rainfall, the produce got damaged and we are facing losses. Normally during Diwali, we used to get around Rs 60-70 for marigold, however, we are getting only Rs 10 this time. Also, chrysanthemum flowers that used to sell for Rs 100 are getting only Rs 20-30.”

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