What flowers add to the economy?

Even five years ago, Akbar Ali of Hariya village in Jhikargachha upazila could not eat three square meals a day due to a financial hardship. However, he has been able to overcome the financial crisis in the previous six years. How? He gave the answer himself. He said, "In the village next to us, farmers used to grow flowers. I was a day labourer at the time. I've seen many people who have been able to escape poverty by growing flowers on their little plots of land. Then I began to do the same. I no longer work in other people's fields. With my two boys and wife, I cultivate flowers myself. With this, our days go by. My family no longer suffers from any scarcity."

Although flower cultivation changed the fate of Akbar Ali, the question of how much it changed the fate of the country is on the minds of many today. It has been said that by cultivating flowers, many farmers have been able to say goodbye to poverty, and now many are self-sufficient. Flowers have also been exported abroad to meet the demand of the country. So can flowers boost our economy? If so, there are many possibilities. If we can manage the whole thing properly, we will be able to take the flower economy to the next level.

Unfortunately flower cultivation has declined by one-third last year due to unseasonal rains and fungal infestations across the country. Even then, the farmers and traders are happy. They say that the flower market is good. This time they got a better price than last year. Although farmers have reduced flower cultivation in the last two years in during the pandemic this year the interest has actually picked up.

Abdur Rahim, President of Bangladesh Flower Society, said that although flowers are sold throughout the year, they are mostly sold on seven days of the year (1st January, Pohela Falgun, Valentine's Day, 21st February, Pohela Boishakh, 16th December and 26th March). In 2019, flowers worth Tk 1600 crore were sold across the country. It decreased during the Covid-19 pandemic. Land for floriculture has also declined this year. Because the sale of flowers has decreased, many farmers have now started cultivating paddy or some other crops in the flower fields. However, this time on 16th December, 1st January, Pahela Falgun, Valentine's Day and 21st February, flowers worth over Tk 250 crore have been sold across the country. Recently we are trying to send flowers to Italy.

Commercial floriculture started in this country in 1972. Flowers are cultivated on 6,500 hectares of land in 23 districts across the country. It employs 25,000 families and 2 lakh people directly and indirectly. Most of the flowers are cultivated in Jashore region. Godakhali village in Jhikargachha upazila of Jhenaidah is known as the birthplace of commercial flower cultivation. Godakhali is home to the largest flower market in the country. Besides, flowers are cultivated in Panisara, Hariya, Patuapara, Taora, Matikarma, Baisa, and Kaoria villages. Roses, shrubs, gladiolus, tuberoses, marigolds, etc. are cultivated in these villages. From here, flowers go to 52 districts of the country, including Dhaka. Jashore region accounts for 70 per cent of Bangladesh's flower market. However, it is more prevalent in Jashore, Jhenaidah, Natore, Chuadanga, Dhaka, Narayanganj and Cox's Bazar.

The flowering season is usually in winter. At this time, the wedding ceremony is more common than at other times of the year. However, most flowers are sold in February. This year the price of flowers started rising after Rose Day on February 7. Then there was Pahela Falgun or Spring Day, and on February 14th, Valentine's Day. Then on February 21st, Lots of flowers are sold all over the country these days. In the meantime, the book fair started on the first of February. Flower sales also increase during book fairs.

Occasionally, there is a flower fair. The International Flower Exhibition was held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center on December 6-7, 2018 with the support of USAID, Bangladesh Flower Society, and Dhaka Chamber of Commerce. India, Nepal, Thailand, and Bangladesh participated in the fair. Those concerned then understood that the quality of flowers in Bangladesh is not bad in any way. Bangladesh will be able to export a lot of flowers if it tries to explore the demand for flowers in the world market. However, with the use of new varieties, improved cultivation methods, and new technology, the quality and quantity of flowers will increase manifold. However, due to the corona pandemic, the activities that was going on with the flower trade at that time came to an abrupt halt.

Former project director of the Department of Agricultural Market (Flower Project), Dewan Ashraful Hossain, said `the government was setting up a wholesale market of flowers at a 52,000-square-foot site in Gabtali. Wholesale markets of Shahbag and Agargaon will relocate to Gabtali as well. There will be flowers and flower seeds stored in the cool chamber at those markets. Besides, wholesale markets have also been set up at Gadkhali, Panisara of Jhikargachha, Baliadanga of Kaliganj, Jivannagar of Chuadanga and Shampur of Savar. The constructions of these are supposed to be completed by June this year.’

He also said, `Flowers are not yet exported abroad to a big way. There have been attempts to send flowers abroad experimentally. We exported some to Australia last year. It was ruined due to quarantine etc. and we could not succeed. However, some flowers were sent to Saudi Arabia last year. If you want to send flowers abroad, you have to pick the flowers one week before flowering. There are specific rules for packaging these. One has to do it according to the specifications. Farmers need to be trained on these issues. Flowers will not be harmed if refrigerated trucks are used while transporting flowers. Besides dyes, perfumes, teas etc. can be made from flowers. We can also explore markets for dried flowers.  When the work of the second phase starts, we have to work on these issues.’

Godakhali has a reputation for producing flowers of international standards. Bangladesh can earn a lot of foreign exchange by exporting flowers every year. Since flowers are perishable products, proper preservation is required. Many flowers get lost on the way to being sent abroad or anywhere inside the country. Therefore, it is very important to have a good transport system for flowers. Flower seeds are to be stored at a certain temperature. So storage needs to be improved. If the flowers were not damaged in this way, the farmers would get better prices and the government would get a lot of foreign exchange from this sector.

Because it is in demand in the domestic and foreign markets and we have suitable soil, climate, and labor for its cultivation, flower cultivation can be a boon for the economy. This requires extensive research and access to facilities. Of course, the government needs to pay attention to this. It also has to improve the transport system. At the same time, flowers need to be stored properly.

There is a society for selling flowers. There are various organizations. In order for these institutions to function properly, they need to be monitored both publicly and privately. Care is also needed to ensure that farmers get a fair price for flowers. Because if they don't get the right price, they will lose interest in flower cultivation. Someone has to take responsibility for ensuring this.

There are many problems said Abdur Rahim. He said, `there is no separate loan system for flowers. But there are some flowers which require 25-30 lakh taka to buy and cultivate in one bigha of land. Farmers will benefit if the government provides separate loans for flowers.’

Tulips are grown commercially in Gazipur. Besides, foreign flowers are being cultivated in other parts of the country. These flowers are in demand abroad. Maybe that's why its cultivation is increasing. But in order to enhance the beauty of roads and other places in our country, a lot of exotic flowering plants, or bonsai, have been planted. The question is, if the native species of trees are planted in these places, will the beauty be diminished? Can't we plant native flower trees in these places? The beauty of our Palash, Shimul, and Krishthachura is no less than all those flowers. Ashoka, shawls, and neem are beneficial for the environment as well. There are also fragrant flowers like Kamini, Belly, Hasnahena, Shefali, Bakul, Dolanchampa, Their beauty and fragrance cannot be compared with any foreign flower.

Besides, the beauty of these trees is incomparable, and these flowering plants last for many years. These are very suitable for our soil climate. There is not much that is needed to be done. In addition to enhancing beauty, these flowers are part of our tradition and culture. Art, literature, and music are intertwined in our daily lives and flowers are closely associated with these activities. We can also export these flowers abroad. In this way, our native flowers can bring fame to our country.

The writer is a columnist. She can be contacted at shanu.mostafiz@gmail.com