According to Kumar Kasaju Shrestha, president of the Floriculture Association Nepal, the country imported 160,000 roses worth Rs10.5 million [92,200 USD] for Valentine’s Day this year while the import stood at 150,000 roses worth Rs10.2 million [89,500 USD] last year. Similarly, 40,000 roses were produced domestically for the special occasion.
Only 20 percent of the demand is fulfilled from domestic production while the remaining 80 percent demand is being fulfilled through imports, he said. The roses are being imported from Bangalore and Kolkata in India and Holland, he told.
Likewise, domestic roses are being sourced from Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Chitwan, he said.
Due to the winter season, the production of rose falls, Shrestha said. The flower production slows from mid-December to mid-March, he said, adding, flower farms go dormant during this period.
He explained that domestic flower farms were not able to grow more roses as they still follow traditional cultivation methods.
The installation of high tech equipment in flower farms has become important to increase the production during the off season, he said. It costs Rs10 million [87,800 USD] to install high tech equipment in 1,000 square feet of land.