Congress Vice President Sh. Rahul Gandhi during a recent visit to Amethi had said, “I would like to see flowers of Amethi adorning the tables in US and Germany… Amethi has a good prospect in flower farming. The farmers should avail its benefits. The flowers from here should travel nationally and globally”. It seems that the recent trends show that his dream is soon going to be a reality. More and more farmers are now showing interest in cultivation of various kinds of flowers as they feel it is more profitable and comfortable.
Lots of farmers in Amethi have started cultivating flowers along with seasonal crops. Farmers believe that flower farming is more profitable, but takes lesser time. Flower cultivation has, therefore, become more attractive for the farmers, big or small. Cultivation of flowers along with potatoes and wheat has now more demands in Amethi.
Many districts in Amethi – Vikaskhand, Sangrampur, Bhetwa, Bhadar see more farmers engage in cultivating flowers. Marigold has the priority. The farmers plant marigold in 50 acres, Glodias in 15 acres and Rajnighandha in 30 acres. Apart from this, some of them do the Rose farming in about 85 acres. The land in Amethi is said to be good for all types of flowers. Marigold, Dehliya, Mogra are more dominating. The farmers believe that flower farming will help them to remove the economic backwardness too. They also realize that cities like Delhi and Lucknow has a good demand for flowers and their aim is to target those markets with the flowers from Amethi. The US and Germany can definitely be the next!
The expenditure is more on cultivation of potatoes and garlic compared with its revenue but through flower farming one can get increased revenue, says Suresh Singh, farmer of Sangrampur. The cultivation of flower can change the destiny of the farmers, but this is only possible when there is good flower market available in the district, Rambaran feels.
Cultivation of marigold is possible throughout the year, Raghupati farmer of Kamasin village said and added “We plant flowers in the month of April and it is ready in two or three months; it requires much effort and hard work but is more profitable than wheat. Another farmer Mishri Lal Yadav says that sowing the flowers is done in the month of July and it takes two to three months for its budding in seven to eight months it blossoms. He also feels that though a bit more hard work is required, the flower business is more lucrative.
Anyhow, if the present trends continue, soon Amethi will take a commendable position in the global market for flowers and if it happens, soon Amethi can become a world class city like Washington, as Rahul Gandhi hopes.