The Hindu Business Line : Lilium growers seek assured market

“In the last couple of years, more farmers have taken up lilium cultivation in the Nilgiris. Some more are also in the list. But, we need an assured market. The competition is not among ourselves, but it exists outside India. We need advantageous marketing strategies including staggering the supplies to avoid flooding the market. No one gains by exploiting the growers”, Dr S. Ramu, Executive Director of Hill Queen Agritech ( hillqueen@dataone.in), told Business Line.

He said that farmers are looking for some buy-back arrangement, particularly in the context of suppliers of planting materials showing interest to strengthen their business in the Nilgiris. “If bulb suppliers are interested only in selling the raw materials, farmers would not be able to support them for long”, he cautioned.

Supply of bulbs

“Our supply of Lilium bulbs to the Nilgiris has doubled this year. We are encouraging the farmers to consolidate themselves into associations to share their skill and knowledge and evolve a region-wise package of cultural practices covering poly houses, configuration, suitable varieties, media composition, production planning, cold storage, fertigation schedules and plant protection measures”, said Dr K. Valliappan, President of the Agro Division of Eureka Trading Co, ( vallie@123india.com) who supplies bulbs imported from VWS Export-Import of flower bulbs, The Netherlands ( www.vws-flowerbulbs.nl).

India needs some four million bulbs, but the quality ones are imported. Holland is the main source of supply. “We are, therefore, exploring the possibility of bringing in the Holland expertise to India and produce the bulbs here itself so that import could be minimised. An initial project has started in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Government. This can help our growers cut their project cost. If we succeed, we can export the bulbs over the years. Some South-East Asian countries are showing interest to buy this”, Dr Valliappan explained.

Techniques

Mr M. Arjun, Chairman, Eureka Group, said that his technical team would visit the farmers periodically to help them tone up their cultivation and post-harvest techniques. “Lilies, both Asiatic and oriental, are grouped under high-value flowers in the global floriculture commerce. They are fast emerging as the largest income contributor. So, increasing the market avenues in India and abroad will avoid unusual dumping at festive occasions”, he said.

Visiting Dutch floriculture expert Ing. John Brass of VWS ( mail@vws-flowerbulbs.nl) said that the growth of lilium cultivation is the Nilgiris is far higher than in other parts of the country. “We see a high demand for the bulbs from Holland. We have assured the farmers to stay with them through their process of growing, render the necessary technical guidance and help them to grow those flowers which are marketable. The marketability of lilum depends on the colours of the flowers, the length of the stem and the health of the flowers and so, our involvement with you can be market-oriented material supply to ease your marketing burden”, he said.

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