In India flowers are an integral part of our religious, cultural and social rituals.

Their cultivation has

been going on for centuries. But recently increasing investments have been made in floriculture as a
commercial activity.
The availability of diverse climatic and physical conditions facilitated the production of a wide range
of flowers all through the year. Cheaper labour and the availability of large scientific manpower in the
country helped in making the enterprise cost-effective.
According to an estimate by the Working Group under the Eighth Five Year Plan floriculture occupied
a total area of 30,924 ha (73,971 ha in 1998-99). Traditionally, flowers have been grown in India in the
open fields, where they have been exposed to both biotic and biotic stresses.
In earlier times, farmers allotted a small area of their farm for growing flowers, largely to supplement
their income. The floriculture was restricted to the growing of traditional crops like marigold, jasmine,
China aster, chrysanthemum and rose (desi) which have been used as loose flowers, sometimes value
added in the form of garlands.
These crops still occupy about two-third of the total area under floriculture in the country. Crops like
marigold are grown all over the country and are now available all through the year. In terms of trade,
their value covers nearly half of the total value of flowers marketed.
The bulk of farmers engaged in commercial floriculture are small farmers, who still grow flowers only
as a segment in their traditional farming system. Largely been due to the lack of systematic
development of this sector.
Modern-day floriculture relates more production of high-value cut flower crops s rose, gladiolus,
carnation, orchids, to anthodium, lilium and gerbera. The commercitivation of these crops started
mostly in the houses of affluent farmers.
The introduction new range of products changed the floriculture considerably. While the returns from
a unit growing these flowers were quite high, the investments required restricted number of plan was
only during the Eighth Plan period than Government recognised the need for systematic development
of this sector and introduced a scheme commercial floriculture.
Half of the total area under floriculture India lies in three southern states of Tamil N Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh. These southern along with Maharashtra, West Bengal and Pradesh are famous for
growing flowers like jasmine, small chrysantheum, yellow jasmine, gold, aster and crosend.
The commercial cultivar of scented rose is carried on in Kannauj, K Hathras, Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh),
(Karnataka), Madurai (Tamil Nadu), and Amri (Punjab) districts. A part of it is utilised in man Turing
scent and rose water. Similarly Kol Coimbatore, Nashik, Pune and Mysore districts tuber rose; Kerala
state for arched and aquarium; Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar, Maharashtra Rajasthan states for
chrysantheum are important areas of commercial floriculture.
The total esteem production of flowers in 1998-99 was 4,59,163 to of loose flowers and 115.6 million
cut flowers, total trade of flowers both by traditional and flower crops was about Rs. 500 crores (in
1998- in the domestic market.
The export of flowers started in 1988 an India's contribution has been only 0.2% of the t world-trade.
Table 12.XII displays gradual incur in the value of flowers and their products since 198 89 onwards.
The total earning from export of floriculture products during 1995-96 was around 60 crores (cf. Rs.
96.6 crores in 1998-99), with oil flowers accounting for less than one-fifth of this trade (Raghav and
Dadiani, 1997, p. 148).
The Government of India has withdrawn import duty on the seeds, tubers, saplings and cuttings of
flowers to improve the quality and output of flowers in the country.
The Government has proposed to establish 10 model floriculture centers in different parts of the
country to encourage floriculture activities. One high technology based floriculture project from the
technical assistance from Holland with an investment of Rs. 42 crores has been started near

Bangalore on a land area of 200 hectares. Nine other centers using latest green house technology for
growing commercial flowers have been proposed of which work has already started on four such
centers. Two model farms of 'tissue culture' are being developed in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
Since modern floriculture is highly capital- intensive the Government should provide financial
assistance to cultivators through commercialised banks and other agencies on easy terms. A threehectare floriculture farm requires a capital investment of about Rs. 3 crores which is beyond the reach
of ordinary farmers.
There is a need for developing an organised marketing system to handle the trade in floriculture both
for internal use and external export. The Government should set up appropriate marketing
infrastructure in the major production zones and provide export concessions to make floriculture
products more competitive in the international market. Considering the highly perishable nature of
the produce, the required facilities of cool chains needs to be kept in mind.
There is also need for developing new varieties of flowers which could be grown in agriculturally less
suitable areas so that expansion of floriculture could not prove detrimental to the agricultural
development.