The Hindu Business Line : Demand blossoms for anthurium across metros

The marriage industry is a major buyer of anthurium flowers and one person recently placed an order for 20,000 stems, Mr T. V. Gopinath, an anthurium grower in Kodagu, Karnataka, told Business Line. The demand prevails for 10 months a year, except July and August. "We cannot meet it (the demand) now," he said.

The shortage has reached such a stage that some have been using a single stem on more than one occasion, as the shining quality of the flower lasts for three to four days.

Though no data is available, the total production is estimated at around 80 lakh flowers. The demand for the flowers is around 30 million a year in India. The global export is put at 2.5 billion flowers a year.

If anthurium is grown across 100 hectares in the country, there would be a production of 45 million flowers, of which 30 to 40 per cent could be exported, he said. The Netherlands is a major supplier of anthurium, followed by Mauritius. The main markets are Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia and the US. The retail price per stem (flower) was $5 in the US, he said.

Given the upbeat scenario, anthurium can be cultivated as a commercial crop for both domestic and export markets.

According to Mr Gopinath, the demand for anthurium has grown by 38 per cent between 1999 and 2002 compared to rose and carnation, which saw an 18 per cent growth in demand during the same period. Anthurium is one of the top 10 cut flowers sold at the Netherlands Auctions.

As this flower belongs to the family of Anaceae and is a native of tropical zones of the Central and South America, it cannot be grown in the open in an extreme climate. Hence, it is best grown in areas having a temperature of 15 to 32 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 60 to 75. The suitable regions are in Karnataka, Kerala (Wyanad, Idukki and Palakkad districts only) and Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris and Kodaikanal.) The North-Eastern States and Bastar in Madhya Pradesh are also suitable for its cultivation. The total area under the crop now is about 20 hectares. The cultivation is confined to Kodagu a very small area in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa and a small part of Maharashtra, he said.

The cost per cultivation is about Rs 35 lakh per acre. The price of the planting material covers 75 per cent of the total project cost, he said. Although a green house is beneficial, the cost would go up by another Rs 12 lakh. According to him, the grower could easily get a 40 per cent return on investment every year. Besides, the Union Agriculture Ministry gives a 20 per cent subsidy on the total project cost through the National Horticulture Board.

There is excellent scope for export to Japan, West Asia, Singapore and European Union countries.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Corporation Bank ties up with MCX

Finance Ministry reviewing proposal to strengthen FMC

Emami diversifying into jatropha cultivation

In troubled waters

Demand blossoms for anthurium across metros

Spot rubber mixed

Sugar de-licensing: HC order leaves mills worried

Maharashtra mills get 10 days more to sell free sale sugar

Mixed trend in Kochi tea sale

Shree Rama Multi-Tech plans to challenge Tetrapak monopoly

Ammana Bio sets up unit to make ethanol from sorghum

Return of the natives