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Meerut News: Meerut, famous as the sugarcane belt, is now seen doing a flower revolution. You will be surprised to know, but in Meerut, hundreds of hectares of fields are fragrant with tuberose, marigold, gladiolus and guldavari.
Meerut. Meerut, known as the sugarcane belt, is now seen doing a flower revolution. You will be surprised to know, but in Meerut, hundreds of hectares of fields are fragrant with tuberose, marigold, gladiolus and guldavari. The economy of farmers has also become fragrant due to flower cultivation in West UP. Progressive farmers are also doing excellent cultivation of rose and gerbera with the help of polyhouse. Apart from this, tuberose, marigold, gladiolus and guldavari are also being produced in large quantities in open fields. According to the Horticulture Department, flowers are being cultivated extensively in hundreds of hectares in Meerut. The market of Delhi is fragrant with the flowers of Meerut. And the flowers from Delhi go to foreign countries.
Leaving job abroad and doing farming
There is a farmer who worked in high positions in Dubai, France and Australia but could not keep himself busy in the job for long and decided to take up flower farming. For this he chose rose cultivation. These days he is doing excellent rose cultivation. Netherlands is a big flower producing country. He learned the technique of flower cultivation there. By building a poly house on three acres near Bhuni intersection on the Meerut-Karnal highway, he planted roses of the “Top Secret” variety from the Netherlands in it. And within no time that flower became a flower.
Earning up to 5-6 lakhs
During summer, one poly house produces 150 bunches of roses. There are 20 flowers in one bunch. In the off season, the price of a bunch is Rs 20, whereas in the wedding season the same bunch is sold for Rs 350. He supplies 70 percent of his production to the rose retail market. Flowers start becoming ready six months after planting the plant. The age of this plant is three years. Earns up to Rs 5-6 lakh in a year from a one acre poly house.
Farming is being done in 1350 hectares
Many other farmers started cultivating gerbera flowers by setting up polyhouses. Before this, sugarcane was cultivated there. The farmer says that from December to April he has sold flowers worth Rs 8 lakh in the Delhi market. He is very impressed with flower farming. He has left the contractual work and chosen farming as his permanent occupation. Rose in Meerut – 25 hectares. Tuberose – 100 hectares. Gerbera – 40 hectares…Gladiolus – 50 hectares, Marigold – 700 hectares. Chrysanthemum – 20 hectares. Other flowers – 415 hectares. Total flower production – 1350 hectares which is a record.
Women are also showing interest
Women are also taking interest in flower cultivation. Pushpa, resident of Piplikheda village of Kharkhoda area, started flower cultivation by forming a self-help group. With government assistance of ten thousand rupees, Pushpa started flower farming. Took four bighas of land on lease and took a loan of Rs 1 lakh from the bank. As the demand for flowers increased in the market, other women of the village also joined. Now the annual flower business has reached more than two million rupees.
