Flower farmers in distress after production withers due to lockdown

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The lockdown imposed to tackle the COVID-19 has severely hit the flower farmers of the State. Many farmers have let flowers wither away in the fields as demand has dropped and labourers are not being able to pluck flowers due to the lockdown.

Hajo is the major hub for flower cultivation and it transports flowers to all the major markets of the State, including Guwahati. Farmers of Sapori, Bhomarbori and Satdola – the major villages for flower cultivation are in distress as they are incurring huge losses due to the lockdown. The main season for flower business comes in April and May because of marriages and religious gatherings, said the farmers.

Talking to The Sentinel Bhupen Malakar, a farmer from Bhomarbori said he has been engaging in the flower farming for last 15 years. This year he had harvested Marigold in 5 bighas of land by investing around Rs 50,000. "I could have earned Rs. 70,000 per bigha; however, now all the flowers have been withered," said Malakar.

Another farmer Diganta Malakar went through a similar fate. He underlined that the lockdown has not only impacted his livelihood but also all the workers who are engaged in the cultivation. "Most of the Marigold and Aparajita flowers in Guwahati markets are brought from Hajo. The main season for our business has passed and there is no hope that this year there will be any sale of flowers. The Ambubachi Mela has also been called off," Diganta asserted.

Further, the farmers appealed to the administration to provide them assistance like the vegetable farmers. They also demanded the government to teach them modern methods of farming for better production.