Flowers bring fortune

A Gladiolus flower garden in Kewatkhali Horticulture Centre of BARI in Mymensigh. PHOTO: STAR

Different varieties of flowers including Gladiolus from India and Carnation, Anthorium and Jerbera from Thailand are being cultivated at its Kewatkhali Horticulture Centre (KHC) here. The programme was launched last year. It is motivating and training farmers in cultivation of ornamental flowers for decoration.

Gladiolus flowers are cultivated in India as a cash crop. There are seven varieties of Gladiolus flowers at the KHC. They are of different colours.

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A farmer can easily cultivate the flowers as cash crop as its cost is very low. Bangladesh's climate is also favourable for it's cultivation. A marginal farmer can earn Tk 10,000 to Tk 15,000 a year by cultivating gladiolus flowers on 10 decimal land, which will cost only Tk 2000 to Tk 2500, according to officials at KHC.

A gladiolus plant grows three to four flowers in each season and each flower sells at Tk 4 to 5. It can be cultivated round the year. After planting a plant, a farmer can pluck flowers four times a year, said Abu Md Enayet Ullah, Assistant Horticulturist at KHC.

Every year, gladiolus flowers of different varieties and colours worth about Tk 50,000 are sold at flower shops in Dhaka city only, he said.

If advanced technology and appropriate transportation system are used and cultivation done round the year a considerable amount of foreign exchange can be earned by exporting this flower, he said.

Carnation and Anthorium are two costly flowers available in winter regions in the world. These two varieties collected from Thailand in August last year are now being cultivated in a Green House at the KHC. Bright red colured Carnation and Anthorium are costlier among the varieties. Cultivation of these flowers will open up a new horizon for farmers, Enayet Ullah said.

An Anthorium flower plant in a tub is sold at between Tk 500 and Tk 700 depending on the quality. Normally, a plant is sold at between Tk 60 and 80 in local markets, he said.

This flower has good markets in Middle Eastern countries, China, Japan, Kenya, Thailand, India and Holland. Bangladesh's weather is suitable for its cultivation. A massive cultivation of this flower can open up scope for flower export, he said.

Jerbera, a multi-coloured flower of foreign origin, has also good markets at home and abroad.

The KHC has taken up various programmes in 2002 to train and motivate farmers in flower cultivation. Flower cultivation is more profitable than traditional crops, but our farmers have to be trained and motivated, the officials said.

In last two years, the KHC trained about 200 farmers on flower cultivation.

The training will continue and 1000 farmers will be trained within the next year, said a source at KHC.

"It is a good news for us that educated people from various professions now contact us and consult about flower cultivation", said Enayet Ullah.

Flower cultivation can bring fortune to educated unemployed youths, which will also earn foreign exchange for the country, he added.