After the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions disrupted the floriculture sector, the industry is still grappling with challenges in Himachal Pradesh, even as some flower growers persist in their businesses.
In Kangra district, the area under floriculture stood at around 115 hectares in 2019-20, it has now shrunk to only about 25 hectares given the losses faced by growers during the pandemic years. The number of flower growers has also dwindled in recent years but the numbers have again started to increase.
While there were 105 flower growers engaged in floriculture in 2019-20 in Kangra district, it went down to only 23 in 2020-21. The number increased to 107 in 2022-23 and the number now stands at 93 farmers in 2023-24.
In Himachal, flower cultivation has been gaining ground for the last decade, but now the number of flower growers has gone down significantly after the pandemic due to less demand in the market.
Read more at Hindustan Times.