Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Ample production and sale of flowers have brought smiles to the farmers as well as traders of Rangur district this year as their income witnessed a boom in February, a month which holds special features centring round Pahela Falgun and Valentine's Day (on February 14) and the International Mother Language Day (on February 21).
According to sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Rangpur, flower growers and traders made an income of around Tk 18 million (Tk 1.80 crore) from its production and sale in February, the peak sale time of flowers.
This year, the enthusiastic growers put their utmost efforts to gear up the cultivation of different varieties of flowers in the region with the optimism to achieve their expected output.
Eventually, they became successful in attaining a profuse production of their produce.
In addition, a congenial weather condition also helped the growers get a plentiful yield of the crop, the sources added.
Md Firoj Shah, a flower cultivator and trader of Binod Chowdhurypara area in Rangpur city, told The Financial Express, he is delighted with the profit he earned from the sale of flowers on the occasion of International Mother Language Day in this February.
He also earned a good profit on Valentine's Day and Pahela Falgun, he said.
He added he cultivated rose on about 44 decimals of land. During this month of February, he earned about Tk0.4million (Tk4 lakh) from the sale of rose. He said, "We, the growers, basically, wait for this particular month of the year as the sale of flowers reaches its peak this time." He said he has been cultivating rose for the past ten years and earning good profit.
As flower farming is lucrative, day by day, more people are getting interested in its cultivation, he said.
He also put emphasis on preservation facilities to ensure more profit for the growers. He said most of the growers do not get necessary assistance from the DAE for the cultivation of flowers. If the growers get required supports from the DAE, they would be able to expand their farming on a large scale, he added.
Rabiul, another flower grower of Ranipukur area in Mithapukur upazila, said he cultivated marigold on around 50 decimals of land this season. He earned Tk 130,000 from the sale of his produce in the month of February.
A good number of flower growers and traders said flower markets turn busy during the month of December, February March and April. Especially in February, the demand for flowers remains higher.
Traders and growers said three months of winter are the peak time for cultivating flowers.
For the cultivation, the fields need to be nursed throughout the year, costing Tk 100,000 to Tk 150,000 a year on one bigha of land for labour, fertilisers, pesticides and other inputs. Conversely, Tk 250,000 to Tk 350,000 can be earned.
According to the DAE sources, the demand for flowers as an agricultural product is increasing gradually all over the country. In Rangpur flower is being cultivated commercially in different upazilas including Rangpur Sadar, Taraganj, Kaunia, and Mithapukur.
Different varieties of flowers including marigold, rose, gladiolus, Lilium, sunflower and gerbera are being cultivated in the district, sources said.
DAE official sources said during this month of February, about Tk9.0 million (Tk90 lakh) has been earned from rose production.
About Tk 5.0 million (Tk50 lakh) has been earned from marigold farming and Tk 3.0 million (Tk 30 lakh) has been earned from farming of other flowers.
Traders' sources said there are 20 flower shops in the city. Owners the shops said each of them earned around Tk1.0 million (Tk10 lakh) this month from flower sale on an average.
Talking to The Financial Express, Additional Deputy Director of the DAE, Rangpur, horticulturist Md Habibur Rahman said, different varieties of flowers are being cultivated on about 90 acres of land in Rangpur district. Of the total, rose has been cultivated on around 20 acres of land.
Around 50 acres of land has been brought under marigold farming. And the rest 20 acres of land has been brought under other varieties of flowers.
As more growers are showing interest in flower farming, flower acreage has increased by around 17 per cent during past five years in the region.
A good number of unemployed and educated youths have ventured into commercial farming of flowers instead of looking for other jobs in the region.
He said cultivation of flower is more lucrative than the cultivation of other crops.
A farmer can earn at least a net profit of Tk 2.5 million to Tk 3.0 million (Tk 250,000 to Tk 300,000) from flower cultivation on one bigha of land.
On the other hand, a grower can earn net profit of only Tk 15,000 to Tk 20,000 from the cultivation of other crops. Many productive-minded people are involved in both flower cultivation and trading in Rangpur.
The soil of many areas of the district is suitable for flower cultivation, he added.