Bhimavaram: West Godavari district collector Chadalawada Nagarani participated as chief guest in a training programme for farmers on floriculture and horticulture value-Added products organised by the Horticulture Department here on Wednesday. She visited the flower exhibition and enquired about its details.

Speaking on the occasion, she appealed to farmers to focus on cultivation of flowers which gives more profits. She said that along with Singapore and Malaysia, in two Telugu states, Hyderabad, Rayalaseema and Kadiyam are famous for flower cultivation, and farmers there are earning high profits. Areas with high water reserves in the district should be identified and focus on Phool Makan cultivation. Vegetables are being cultivated in Penugonda and Siddhantam areas of the district.

Areas suitable for flower cultivation in the district should be identified and farmers should be educated and encouraged. Flowers, which require a bit more initial investment for flower cultivation, will earn more income if they are harvested. Term loans are being provided as investment for flower cultivation to be paid after five years.

In addition to loans from NABARD and DRDA, NRGS offers opportunities for jasmine garden cultivation. There is demand for decorative flowers in India and abroad. Successful orchid cultivation is taking place over five acres in Kapavaram, with flowers priced between Rs 30 and Rs 150 or more. Flower cultivation can start on as little as 10 cents and expand to one acre.

The District Horticulture Department will organise visits to raise awareness among farmers about flower cultivation, which can lead to high income and a pleasant growing environment. India ranks second in floriculture globally, while Andhra Pradesh is third in the country, dedicating 19,000 hectares to this sector. Currently, only 15,000 hectares in the district are used for horticultural crops. Farmers are encouraged to shift towards higher-income horticultural varieties.

Due to limited land for these crops, high-value vegetables and flowers can be cultivated through polyhouse farming, yielding three times more than traditional methods. The government provides a 50% subsidy for polyhouse construction, up to Rs 16 lakh per acre, and an additional subsidy of Rs 5 lakh per acre for flowers and vegetables. The District Collector urged farmers to take advantage of these opportunities.

Undi KVK Head and Coordinator Dr Mallikarjun, Director of Floriculture Dr DVS Raju, Principal Scientist Dr P Lalitha Kameswari, and District Agriculture Officer Venkateswara Rao explained the opportunities for flower cultivation in the district and its marketing in the country and abroad.

District Horticulture Officer R Devanand Kumar, NABARD DDM T Anil Kant, Kadiyam Mandal Vemagiri Regional Centre Director of Floriculture Principal Scientist Dr DVS Raju, Horticulture Additional Director Dr B Harinath Reddy, Kovvur Horticulture Principal Scientist Dr P Lalitha Kameswari, Scientist Dr V Shivakumar, Vemagiri Principal Scientist Dr Rampal, farmers, small traders, students, and others participated in this conference.