More than twenty farmers in the district’s Godagari Upazila have attained unprecedented success in cultivation of flower commercially for the first time in the region as an alternative crop.
They cultivated gladiolus sticks on around 30 decimals of land in Kodomshohar, Bijoynagar, Kadipur and Amanatpur areas. Under its Second Crop Diversification Project, the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) extended requisite training facilities along with tubers towards them.
“I had cultivated flower on four decimals of land after spending Taka 5,000 and earned a net of profit of Taka 15,000 by selling flowers,” said Akhlakur Rahman Babu of Kodomshohar.
He said that he will cultivate different other flowers side by side with gladiolus on more lands in coming year. Shafiqul Islam, another flower grower of Bijoynagar, earned profit of Taka 20,000 from five decimals of land.
Although it’s a small scale the effort has opened up a new dimension of crop diversification in the dried area and will obviously inspire more other farmers to cultivate flowers. Besides, he said every conventional crop has risks but flower farming has no risk.
Dr Saiful Alam, Upazila Agriculture Officer, said there is a big market for flowers in Rajshahi, Chapainawabgonj and other neighbouring districts. Traders procure flowers from Jessore and from abroad to meet up the demand.
He said there is a big market for flowers in the country with an increase in the demand for local and foreign flowers. “The market should be protected and sustained by growing various kinds of flowers at suitable places across the region.”
Gladiolus sticks of different colours like white, red, yellow, scarlet, pink, violet, rosy, lipstick and blue are grown in the same plot, flower growers said. The flower is harvested within 70 days and grows all the year round said the farmers.
Business leaders and Agriculturists have suggested boosting cultivation of indigenous flowers to reduce import dependence as the demand for flowers has witnessed a sharp rise in recent times in the region.
“Due to variation in climate, topography and vegetation, the region has a diversity of ornamental plants which need to be scientifically cultivated to promote export,” said Abu Bakker Ali, President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Talking to BSS, he said various species of flowers grow in the region and measures should be taken to cultivate more so that flower can turn into an export-oriented industry.
Dr Abdul Mannan, a senior professor of Rajshahi University, said flower is one of the luxurious elements in the world and there should be effective measures of encouraging farmers to promote the farming in the region. Farmers need tuber resource center here from where they can collect and purchase those in easy means.
Meanwhile, flower traders in the city demanded storage facilities for preservation of flowers which are procured from the countryside.
They said such facilities will benefit flower cultivators as well as provide avenues for introducing flower-based industries.
