Flowers are being grown in many panchayats of Thiruvananthapuram with an eye on the Onam market
Flowers are being grown in many panchayats of Thiruvananthapuram with an eye on the Onam market
The dew-soaked lilies, chrysanthemums, jasmine and oleander are in full bloom at Plamuttukada near Parasala, about 30 km from Thiruvananthapuram. Here, Parsala Block Panchayat on 80 percent plot is promoting Poovili 2022, which is a project to promote floriculture.
In addition, in Thiruvananthapuram, marigold is also grown in about 8.51 acres in six gram panchayats spread across the block panchayats of Nemom and Vellanad.
oleander ( early) Farming in Plamuttukada of Parasala Block Panchayat. Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar
Local self-government bodies in Thiruvananthapuram have promoted floriculture by making carpets of flowers in the Onam market, an integral part of the festivities, to promote floriculture. The plan is to reduce dependence on flower markets in Kanyakumari district and Bengaluru during Onam. Many blocks and gram panchayats are growing flowers on their respective plots, albeit on a smaller scale.
“It was an ambitious project. But the result exceeded our expectations and in May this year we got a bumper crop, especially of marigold. Now the second batch of marigold is getting ready for harvesting,” said Parasala block panchayat president SK “We had people coming to see flowers from other parts of the district,” says Alvedisa A, the panchayat’s vice-president, says Ben Darwin.
The Parsala block panchayat had started the project in March this year under the five-year plan. Marigold in three shades of dark yellow and orange, oleander in red, pink and baby pink, and a variety of jasmine like kuttimulla And pitch were imposed.
ambitious project
“We have adopted the mulching method (to prevent weeds and protect the roots and soil) along with drip irrigation. Initially 20 days old marigold plants were planted and within two months we got the crop. We get 40-50 flowers from one plant.’
SK Ben Darwin, President, Parasala Block Panchayat, Alvedisa A, Panchayat Vice President and S Vijayakumar, Facilitator, Agro Service Center | Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar
In addition to 200 kg of chrysanthemum, 10 kg of jasmine and 15 kg of oleander, about 450 kg of marigold has been harvested till July. They have sold ₹40,000 till now. The target is to harvest about 200 kg of flowers for Onam.
oleander ( early, Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar
Flower rates are similar to those of Kanyakumari’s Thowwala, says Ben. Marigold, which usually costs ₹50-60 per kg, costs ₹250 and above during Onam. Oleander buds usually cost ₹1,000 per kg, while flowers are sold for ₹150 per kg. rates of both kuttimulla And pitchThe price, usually ₹150 per kg, can go up to ₹1,000-1,500 during the festival, which coincides with the wedding season in Kerala.
SK Ben Darwin, Parsala Block Panchayat President, in a marigold field at Lutheran UP School, Ponvilla. Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar
The first batch of jasmine and oleander continues to yield. “It is necessary to prune these plants regularly to ensure better yield,” says Vijayakumar. The panchayat has also cultivated marigolds at 30 st in the premises of Lutheran UP School, Ponvilla, which is ready for harvest.
Flower cultivation in the five gram panchayats of Vilapil, Vilavurakkal, Malayinkizhu, Maranalur and Pallichal under Nemom block panchayat, and Kattakada under Vellanad block panchayat, was an initiative of Kattakada MLA IB Satheesh. This is done under the strict supervision of Nemom Block Panchayat Samiti.
Marigold Field in Kattakada | photo credit: special arrangement
It has been implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)-watershed component in convergence of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Nemom’s Block Development Officer Ajikumar K says, “It was a new venture but we have been able to implement it well.
The 33 beneficiaries of the scheme include individual farmers and agricultural groups. “Our marigold farm is at 20 cents. It was a challenge when we started but now we are waiting for the harvest. Since we have to water the plants twice a day, we do it in separate batches,” says Sheeja Kumari V, a member of the 20-member group from Maranallur.
Marigold harvesting inaugurated at Pallichal. The farm is managed by Farms in Trivandrum Group. photo credit: special arrangement
Farms (FiT) in Trivandrum, a joint agricultural venture, grows marigolds at 50 Cent in Kannamkode ward of Pallichal. “We are cultivating many crops, especially fruit bearing trees, tubers and so on. Marigold was introduced as an inter-crop. Women working under MGNREGA prepared the land and we did not have to spend on plants as it was provided by Krishi Bhavan. Harvesting will start before Atham (August 30),” says Vinod Venugopal, who conceptualized FiT.
The panchayats plan to continue the cultivation of flowers even after Onam. “It will be an additional source of income and our dream is to make it a flower village,” says Ben.