It is dazzling to see marigolds and globe amaranth in full bloom around Agriculture Minister P. Prasad’s residence at Cherthala.
Mr. Prasad who cultivated 2,500 marigolds and 250 globe amaranth with an eye on Onam began harvesting the flowers on Sunday. On scripting a success story in flower farming, the Minister said that seasonal floriculture was highly profitable. He noted that more flowers and vegetables should be grown locally.
People could buy flowers from the Minister’s residence at reasonable rates during the Onam season. Mr. Prasad is also cultivating sweet potatoes and arrowroot.
Apart from Mr. Prasad, several individual farmers, women’s self-help groups, farmer groups, and so on in Cherthala taluk especially in Kanjikuzhy block have undertaken the cultivation of marigold, Ceylon slitwort, globe amaranth, and so on in large tracts of land, eyeing the Onam demand for flowers. Many of the gardens are enticing visitors from far and near with people finding them ideal places for photoshoots.
In Kanjikuzhy grama panchayat, a significant producer of flowers in the region, floriculture has been undertaken on more than 15 acres. “More and more farmers are taking up floriculture these days. They are trying their luck in flower farming as there is a huge demand for locally produced chemical-free flowers for laying floral carpets as part of the customary celebrations. We are giving all support to the farmers as producing flowers locally will reduce dependency on flower imports from neighbouring States,” said M. Santhoshkumar, vice president, Kanjikuzhy grama panchayat
The harvest at Minister’s residence was jointly inaugurated by Alappuzha district panchayat president K.G. Rajeshwari, District Collector Haritha V. Kumar, actor Beena Antony, and women heads of local bodies in the Cherthala Assembly constituency. Actor Anoop Chandran, Agriculture department officials, and people’s representatives, also attended the function.
