Nepal: Pokhara on track to being self-sufficient in flowers
Until five years ago, around 90 percent of the flowers sold in this scenic lake city in western Nepal used to be imported from India, resulting in millions of rupees flowing out of the country. But things have changed.
“Lately, farmers and nurseries have started growing flowers on a commercial basis in Kaski district and surrounding areas.
This is making Pokhara self-sufficient in flowers,” Daya Dwa, president of the Floriculture Association of Nepal (Kaski Chapter), told the Post.
Around 5.5 percent of the arable land in Kaski district is being used to grow flowers, according to the Kaski District Agricultural Office (KDAO). “There are about 52 farmers engaged in commercial flower farming and dozens of others are growing flowers on small plots of land,” said KDAO Chief Lokendra Bahadur Bohara.
As the market for flowers is growing, more and more farmers have been entering the sector. “If the government provides quality seeds and easy credit facilities and develops pocket areas for flower production, more people will be interested in growing flowers commercially,” Dwa said.
Read more at The Kathmandu Post