Dark clouds looms large over flower business
   Date :30-Mar-2020

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By Praveen Vighre :
 
FLOWER vendors whose business is at its peak during this season is facing heavy losses as Government has clamped lockdown owing to the outbreak of coronavirus. Netaji Flower Market which supplies and caters to the demand of Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh is closed since March 18 due to coronavirus pandemic. Vijay Wanjari, President of Utpadak, Thok Va Chillar Pushpa Vikreta Sangh while talking to The Hitavada said, “On normal days, daily, there is influx of 50 to 100 tonnes of flowers from various places in Nagpur district.
 
Netaji Flower Market has about 60 wholesalers who had deployed 5 to 10 workers each.” With the outbreak of coronavirus, there is daily loss of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore as flower growers have turned their back. The market logistically has gained importance as traders from various districts in Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh visit on daily basis and place their respective orders. He said, flowers have less shelf life and therefore they should be immediately brought in use after plucking.
 
Government which has given permission to farmers to sell vegetables should also allow flower vendors to operate in the wholesale market. “We understand that lockdown has prohibited people to move outside their dwellings, but at the same time, it has not disallowed people to perform pooja. To perform pooja, flowers are required. If we are allowed to sell flowers, we will also follow the rule of social distancing,” he said. Sources said, even after lifting of the lockdown, it will take more than six months for the wholesalers to fulfill the backlog.
 
Government should give Rs 50,000 per acre as a compensation to flower growers and also financial aid to workers and 5,000 retailers in Nagpur, Wanjari demanded. Bhola (Manish) Datarkar of Om Sai Flower Mart said, farmers who are into the business of flower cultivation are worst affected in the present scenario. “In the entire exercise of flower growing, right from cultivation to harvesting, it takes about 60 days. The maintenance cost is also high. Farmers who are into the business of flower cultivation suddenly cannot switch over to other cash crop as is prevalent in other agriculture produce,” he pointed out. During the month of March, there is renewed demand of flowers from places like Jabalpur, Bhilai and other adjoining states. Even farmers from distant places like Hingoli and Dhule send special varieties of flowers to Netaji Market. “Coronavirus pandemic has taken out aroma of our business. We need Government help at this juncture,” said sources.