Actually this is the wedding season in India and the most crucial period for flowers sales. However, due to COVID-19, all these big fat events are being cancelled. This results in a dark and bleak future for the flower growers and the florists. Already we were fighting against the rampant use of artificial flowers and now it’s corona, KF Bioplants tells us. "The grower’s backbone is completely gone…..how can we survive and sustain? The situation is so grave that flowers are being harvested and fed to animals or in some places; due to no labor to harvest, cattle are allowed in greenhouses for grazing."
Pictures sent to us by KF Bioplants.
It has been over two decades that the floriculture sector in India is trying to establish its identity. And now, due to COVID-19, the sector is hit hard. "Agriculture and horticulture are sectors that are affected heavily as they highly depend on labor and produce perishable goods. However floriculture is hit even harder as the products are considered as "non-essential".
"COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerability of mankind and turned the whole world upside down including the most developed and so called global giant countries. Industries are closed, roads/rail/air movement is moving only when and where is it required. The whole situation is devastating and the impact on all industries will be quite a long time. However; to overcome this situation, we need to think out of the box and execute innovative strategies to bounce back stronger and healthier than before! We are really hoping that our government will look into these issues and announce some help, relief measures to support our farmers."
Several stories of farmers appeared in Indian media. A worried floral farmer, Sri Ram Reddy, from Telangana for example told thenewsminute.com that this time of the year is usually his peak period. "Starting from April, almost every day we get a good yield of lilies as this is the peak season for them. But because of the situation, we are not even plucking the flowers and just leaving them on the plants." The lockdown in the month of March was bad enough for the farmers, but hearing that it has been extended in Telangana till the end of the month has compelled farmers to clear good, existing crop, fearing infections in the plants. Some of the small scale floral farmers are forced to secretly sell their yield at less than half rate along with vegetable vendors, who are allowed to operate under essential services. Click here to read the complete article.
Also in Punjab, the coronavirus takes colors out of the blooming business this spring. Also here, spring is the peak season, Times of India reports. As no one knows how long the curfew will end, many of the flower growers plan to sow vegetable plants. The priority of the horticulture department of Punjab is to find out ways and means how to reduce the losses of the floriculturists, like drying of rose flower petals, converting of marigold into seeds and lilium into bulbs. Click here to read the complete article.
KF Bioplants sent in more pictures of flowers that had to be thrown away at farms:
