As yield dips, no Valentine’s Day cheer for rose growers in TN
CHENNAI: The yield of rose crop in Tamil Nadu’s floriculture belt in Krishnagiri district has come down due to heavy dew, unusual dip in the mercury this season and hit in exports ahead of Valentine’s season, farmers say. Krishnagiri, a semi-arid region, accounts for 30 to 40% rose exports to the Gulf, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia during the season. Rose cultivation over 607 hectares in the region provides employment to two lakh workers. The yield this time has come down by 20% and affected exports by 50% according to Krishnagiri. Rose Farmers’ Association “This season, the export target was two crore stems [flowers]. But we could not meet the target due to the reduction in yield. This was due to heavy dew and the mercury dipping to 6 degree Celsius… This prolonged the growth of flowers from the budding stage making it una- vailable for Valentine’s season,” said District Horticulturists Federation president V Venkatachalam. “The Taj Mahal variety of red rose has a huge demand. And this alone accounted for 80% of the exports. We also export carnation flowers, though not in huge quantities...” District Rose Farmer Association’s Bala Siva Prasad said they rely on exports rather than on the domestic market which used to supplement their sales. “We are neither upbeat nor crest- fallen since we have not suffered any huge losses. But the fact remains that we could not meet the export target.” The cultivation of jasmine has been hit as well and affected exports especially of the Madurai Malli variety. A substantial quantity of 15,000-tonne jasmine produced in the region is exported. AS Ramar, a jasmine cultivator from Madurai, blamed pest attacks and dew for damage to around two tonnes of Jasmine buds he grew on his two-acre land.