Bhadrak: Elections are a much-awaited occasion for flower traders in Bhadrak, as there is a steep rise in demand for garlands – marigold in particular.
With the nomination process for panchayat polls coming to an end in the district, flower traders are looking forward to brisk sales.
Flower traders say demand for garlands, particularly of marigold, is quite high these days as people buy them in large quantities to greet their respective leaders who come to their villages for campaigning.
According to reports, the local market is now flooded with a huge amount of flowers being supplied from Kolkata. Even today, traders from Kolkata directly deliver their flowers at the retail traders’ doorstep.
Offering bouquets and marigold garlands to contestants has now become a trend in the villages, traders added.
“Flower trade is a booming business during elections. Currently, 90 per cent of the flowers are supplied from Kolkata as flowers procured from local areas are too meagre to meet the growing demand,” a trader said. Not many local farmers grow flowers in the district despite good climatic conditions, it is said.
In Bhadrak bazaar alone, there is demand for one quintal of flowers daily. Demand further grows in other areas, according to sources in the horticulture department.
Over 25 traders of Bhadrak have been doing flower trade, which is dependent on Kolkata market.
Traders said a few farmers in Bant, Basudevpur, Dhamnagar and Bhadrak cultivate flowers. But flower cultivation needs support of the government to have good production so as to cater to the locals’ demand, they said.
In the current year, the horticulture department has set a target to cultivate flowers in 12 hectares and 50 farmers were distributed saplings. Flower trader Rajendra Sahu said farmers are not aware of the flower cultivation and its profitability even though there is a conducive climate in some areas for cultivating flowers.
Horticulture officer Lalit Kumar Panda said farmers are not attracted towards flower cultivation. PNN