The growing of flowers is no more the domain of plain areas only. The hilly State of Himachal Pradesh has been bustling with the fragrance of flowers and the State has emerged as a pioneer in the cultivation of flowers during the last about a decade. It is quite amazing to note that in a State where there was hardly any activity of floriculture, is today generating an economy of about 28 crores annually even as more than 2,800 farmers are directly engaged in the avocation of commercial floriculture.

The flowers being grown in Himachal Pradesh are in great demand in the markets of Delhi apart from other parts of the country as well. Thanks to the big impetus being given by the State Government to the farmers. An unprecedented surge has been witnessed in the field of floriculture as more and more farmers have shifted to the cultivation of flowers. The commercial floriculture has picked up very fast and the farmers are fetching remunerative prices.

Soon after the launching of Horticulture Technology Mission Project in the State, farmers had started switching over to the setting up of poly-houses in large numbers and the growing of the flowers has caught their fancy. Several technical inputs, financial assistance, has helped to a great deal for the flourishing of commercial floriculture in Himachal Pradesh.  The Department of Horticulture   made a humble beginning in 1993-94 by starting floriculture activities on 30 hectare of land. In the year 2008-09,  the area under floriculture increased to 617.65 hectare.  Today the estimated turn over of floriculture produce is around 27.33 crore.  The flower produce in the State is being sold in the domestic market of the country, especially in Delhi.

The first Model Floriculture Centre was established at Mahog Bag near Chail in Solan District which has 1706.5 sqm of green house area.  The Model Floriculture Centre has also one handling unit for post harvest handling of flowers and three numbers of cool chambers for the storage of planted   material.  The Mahog Bag Centre is acting as nucleus for the proliferation of commercial floriculture.  The Centre is also acting as source of acting improve jerm-plasm to the commercial flower grower and nurseries besides providing training to the commercial flower growers.  Scientific facilities for the production of post harvest management of the floriculture produce has also been manipulated this centre. 

The Department of Horticulture has established seven floriculture nurseries in different zones of the State.  These include Nav Bahar, Chharabra, Mahog Bag, Parwanoo, Bajaura Dharamshala and Bhatoon in Kangra District.  Training and demonstration is being imparted to the commercial flower growers.  Departmental Extension Staff and the nurseries are also source of motivation to the flower growers in order to improve their socio-economic lot.  The other activities like introduction and multiplication of planting material, bulbs, seeds of improved flower varieties are also made available to the flower growers at these nurseries. 

The Department has also been handling the post management facilities for floriculture and has set up three cool chambers with a storage capacity of 4 lakhs bulbs and 10 thousand cut flowers at Mahog Bag. Providing of technical inputs is one of the important areas being handed by the floriculture wing of Horticulture Department to promote the growing of flowers in the State.  The Department organize short duration training programme for the farmers keen to take up floriculture as their bread and butter. 

Study tours for flower growers from Himachal Pradesh are also being arranged from time to time to create awareness among them regarding the new trends and technologies in floriculture. Under the technical Assistance Programme, free technical advice is also made available by the Department of Horticulture to the floriculturists.

 

Issued by

 

Director

Information & Public Relations

Himachal Pradesh