india' s foriculture

FLORICULTURE

INTRODUCTION

• India is bestowed with several agro-climatic zones conducive for production of sensitive and delicate floriculture products. During the decade after liberalization floriculture industries took giant steps in the export arena. This era has seen a dynamic shift from sustenance production to commercial production.

• As per National Horticulture Database published by National Horticulture Board, during 2012-13 the area under floriculture production in India was 232.74 thousands hectares with a production of 1.729 million tonnes loose flowers and 76.73 million tonnes cut flowers.

• Floriculture is now commercially cultivated in several states with West Bengal (32%), Karnataka (12%) Maharashtra (10%), having gone ahead of other producing states like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

• Indian floriculture industry comprises of flowers such as Rose, Tuberose, Glads, Anthurium, Carnations, Marigold etc. Cultivation is undertaken in both open farm conditions as well as state-of-the-art poly and greenhouses.

• India's total export of floriculture was Rs. 455.90 crores in 2013-14. The major importing countries were United States, Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Japan and Canada. There are more than 300 export-oriented units in India. More than 50% of the floriculture units are based in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. With the technical collaborations from foreign companies, the Indian floriculture industry is poised to increase its share in world trade.

• India has also been exporting fruits and vegetable seeds and exports during 2013-14 stood at Rs. 410.53 crores. Pakistan, United States, Bangladesh, Netherland, Italy, and Thailand were the major markets of India’s fruits and vegetable seeds.

• Government of India has identified floriculture as a sunrise industry and accorded it 100% export oriented status. Owing to steady increase in demand of flower floriculture has become one of the important Commercial trades in Agriculture. Hence commercial floriculture has emerged as hi-tech activity-taking place under controlled climatic conditions inside greenhouse. Floriculture in India, is being viewed as a high growth Industry. Commercial floriculture is becoming important from the export angle. The liberalization of industrial and trade policies paved the way for development of export-oriented production of cut flowers. The new seed policy had already made it feasible to import planting material of international varieties. It has been found that commercial floriculture has higher potential per unit area than most of the field crops and is therefore a lucrative business. Indian floriculture industry has been shifting from traditional flowers to cut flowers for export purposes. The liberalized economy has given an impetus to the Indian entrepreneurs for establishing export oriented floriculture units under controlled climatic conditions.

What is Floriculture ?

• Floriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry. The development, via plant breeding, of new varieties is a major occupation of floriculturists.

• Floriculture crops include bedding plants, houseplants, flowering garden and pot plants, cut cultivated greens, and cut flowers.

Varieties

Floriculture products mainly consist of • cut flowers, • pot plants, • cut foliage, • seeds bulbs,• tubers,• rooted cuttings and dried flowers orleaves.

• The important floricultural crops in the international cut flower trade are rose , carnation ,chrysanthemum, gargera, gladiolus, gypsophila, liastris, nerine, orchids, archilea, anthuriu, tulip, and lilies.

• Floriculture crops like gerberas, carnation, etc. are grown in green houses.

• The open field crops are chrysanthemum, roses, gaillardia, lily marigold, aster, tuberose etc

Areas of Cultivation:

• Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu , Rajasthan , West Bengal have emerged as major floriculture centers.

About two decades back or so, the floriculture was just a pastime of rich people and hobby of flower lovers, but now it has opened a new vista in agri-business i,e, commercial floriculture. With the increase in buying capacity of people, the flower lovers have now started buying them from the markets to beautify their home as well as to adore some one they love simply because they don't have time and enough space to grow flowers particularly in urban areas and in metropolitan cities. Flowers, it seems, is the most wanted item in any social occasions for conveying one's status and aesthetic sense

No nuptial is performed of a Warm welcome cannot be offered to VIPs in the public functions without bouquet - flowers are so indispensable!All these, no doubt, have set flower business on a top gear. One may wonder, the global market on flower is at present, carrying a business worth 2000 crores US dollar (1992) par annum. India is also having a business worth R.280 crores in her domestic market (1992-93).

Flower is now so indispensable that one may cancel his her birthday celebration or Yama may postpone the death of a dying person in case flowers are not available at that time.

Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) conducted a survey of assessment on the possibilities of cut flowers trade in India during 1960-62. An important conclusion was that an internal sale as RS.9.26 Crores worth flower weighing 10,460 tones grown in an area of 4000 hector. Flowers like Rose, Gladiolus, Tuberose, Chrysanthemum, Aster, Carnation, Orchids, Marigold are most popular in cut flower market all over the World.

State Area (ha.)Karnataka 19,161Tamil Nadu 14,194West Bengal 12,285Andhra Pradesh 5,933Maharashtra 3,356Rajasthan 1,985Delhi 1,878 Haryana 1,540Madhya Pradesh 1,270Uttar Pradesh 1,000Others 2,166Total 64,768