Over three thousand floriculture farmers in the tri-State junction of Kuppam are staring at a bleak future, with business coming to a halt across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu ever since March 22, the day on which the Janata Curfew was announced.
The Kuppam region, which enjoys moderate weather throughout the year, is known for producing some of the best quality flowers of several prime varieties. The floriculture belt is spread over 2,000 acres in Kuppam, Shantipuram, Gudupalle, V. Kota, Baireddipalle, Palamaner and Gangavaram mandals. The floriculture mostly involves small and marginal farmers here, making it a cottage industry.
Krishnappa, who owns a greenhouse in Shantipuram, said that during the last one and a half months, his business prospects went south. “We have two marriage seasons, one in each half of the year. We send high quality roses of the choicest varieties and hues based on the demand from customers. Locally, we sell roses for ₹8 [0.11 USD] per flower. The same is sold for ₹40 [0.53 USD] apiece in metro cities. Ever since the lockdown, our business has come to a complete stop with no marriages or any other functions,” he said.
