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Floriculture industry in Hosur banks on Valentine's Day

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Gayathri G Chennai
Last Updated : Feb 25 2013 | 11:50 PM IST
Come Valentine's Day and the business for the floriculture industry in Hosur region will be in full bloom. Foreseeing a good trade this time, a majority of the units are now in an expansion mode.
 
The industry is now in a growth phase with an increase in demand for roses in the domestic and export markets. The production of roses from Hosur, which accounts for nearly 35 per cent of the country's total production, is increasing with new investments coming up in this industrial town compared with major cities like Bangalore and Pune.
 
A total of 25 units in and around Hosur have planted 40 lakh rose stems on about 50 hectares under green house cultivation. A total of 60 lakh rose stems is estimated to be exported for this Valentine's Day as against 40 lakh rose stems previous year, according to Ashwat Narayanan, a floriculturist.
 
Though there was a setback in production due to the rain last year, there has been a surge in demand for roses among youth in the ITES industry in Bangalore and other cities who are the biggest buyers during Valentine's Day.
 
The price for a single rose stem is expected to touch Rs 12 during Valentine's Day. But the vast potential still remains untapped.
 
A majority of the shipments got offloaded last year due to space constraint.
 
Though there has been a good demand in European countries like London and Canada, the inadequate frequency of flights to Europe is a major drawback for the industry to flourish. As a result flowers have to be sent only through Mumbai and Delhi. Added to this, customers too are hesitant to place orders due to offloading of consignments.
 
Floriculturists feel that the government should give high priority to flowers during Valentine's Day.
 
Space could be booked months in advance and units are ready to pay extra freight charges for shipments.

 
 

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First Published: Feb 07 2006 | 12:00 AM IST

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