1. Visited Thovalai and Kavalkinaru flower market on 05.03.10 to 07.03.10

Thovalai market:

The market is operated in a narrow stretch of temple land with zero infrastructures. The access to market is very poor leading to congestion. The traders through their agents bring the weighing machines, spread the lot on the ground and take up trading practices. The day market is operated from morning 7.00 to 11.00 AM. There are four big flower traders in Thovalai market who in collusion dictate and deprive the farmers of right price and market information. The trading practices adopted are primitive with the transactions recorded in temporary registers, resulting in unaccounted practices depriving the government its due share through market fee, tax etc. The high perishable nature of the flower is being exploited by the traders in fixing less than actual prices. The prices are paid to the farmers after one day based on the prices at Trivandrum / Kerala market that prevailed on the previous day. As there is no price transparency and lack of price information results in poor price discovery mechanisms. There also exists a price discrimination practice depending upon the size of the lot offered for sale by the farmer. The account is settled once in ten days where huge backlogs payments are built and the resulting in loss of interest (return on outstanding money, from trader to farmers) on accumulated credit  is taken away by the traders. There is a virtual barrier created by the group of existing traders. They do not allow anyone from other areas except Thovalai to operate in the market leading to high market imperfections. The practices are very primitive in nature and government intervention is necessary to provide better infrastructure and price discovery mechanism for betterment of the flower growers of the in and around Thovalai.

Kavalkinaru market:
The market have well structures is all aspects with regard marketing of flowers both farmers and traders point of view. Different flower species like Jasmine, Neerium, marigold, cock’s comb and Vadamalli etc., are cultivated in the area. These flowers are highly perishable in nature and do not withstand long distance transportation. There is about 10-15 per cent damage/spoilage to the flowers brought to the market. Labour is sufficiently available. The quality of water favors flower cultivation but the water available is limited and farmers are pumping water from 700-10, 00 ft. On the investment side, establishment of flower area requires a sizeable investment rather than maintaining the area under flowers. Majority of the flower cultivating farm holding in the region are small and marginal followed by medium sized farms. There are virtually no grading activities at farm level and the packaging materials used one primitive and unscientific. Therefore any positive intervention would help the small and marginal farmers to a great extent. As there is a conspicuous continuous flow of money to the flower producers on a day to day basis, the flower farmers are tempted to borrow money from the market intermediaries which leads to unscrupulous demands/activities of the intermediaries at the later stages of product marketing, price fixation and cash settlement. There are five to ten aggregators at each village who add no value to the product (flower) but make the supply chain highly inefficient and unsustainable in the longer run. Therefore direct marketing of flowers would improve the returns to the farmers. The farmers/aggregators at present have to transport the flowers to a maximum of 50-60 kilometers every day. They mostly transport the flowers packed in a gunny bag through road by two wheelers, vans and public transports. The flowers being highly perishable added to the poor packaging, long distance transportation and the poor conditions of the road results unavoidable deterioration of quality and value loss.

Tamil Nadu Floriculture research Centre, Thovalai:
Dr. Sorna Priya, Associate Professor and Head of the Floriculture Research Centre at Thovalai. The centre has been designed to help achieve ‘socio-economic uplift’ of farmers raising flower crops around Thovalai and other areas in Kanyakumari district. Farmers raising flower crops in Thovalai, a village renowned for flower cultivation in Kanyakumari district, have been struggling to preserve and market their produce. The total area under flower cultivation in Thovalai block is 201 hectares. Floriculture crops such as jasmine, rose, chrysanthemum, tuberose, marigold and kanagambaram and cut-flowers like anthuriums, orchids, gerbera, gladiola etc. The agro-climatic condition of the district was suitable to cultivate cut-flowers like anthuriums and orchids. The steps would be taken to ensure commercial cultivation of these crops by setting up a research centre. In addition, the centre would provide flower growers of conventional varieties like jasmine and rose with planting material. It would also be involved in generating technology, breeding and growing of new varieties. Farmers were exposed to new cultivating practices for cut flowers and loose flowers and also explained about its advantages to visiting farmers.

A Group of Farmers Visited at Botanical garden on Farmers day (9, 10 June, 2010)

2. Visited flora expo 2010, K. R. Flower Market (Krishna Rajendra Market) at Bangalore and Cut flowers Farm visit, Hosur on 20.08.2010 to 22.08.2010

Introduction

Karnataka ranks first in the country in the production of traditional and modern flowers. It has 200 ha are under modern floriculture and 150 ha under green house floriculture valued about Rs.250 crores. In terms of its share in the country, it accounted for 23.48 per cent of the area and 24.44 per cent in production during 1999-2000. The conducive climate prevailing in the six agro-climatic regions spread across 10 Zones in the state is responsible for this impressive growth.

Under the NAIP project entitled “Value chain on flowers for domestic and export Markets” three days (Table. 1) visit to National expo / market, Banglore, growers farm visit in Hosur was organized. During this tour accompanying staff from TNAU, Dr. N. Venkatesa Palanisamy, Associate professor (ARM), Dr. D. Suresh Kumar Associate professor (Economics), Dr. P. Thiyagarajan, Research associate (NAIP- flowers), Mr. P. Buvaneshwaran, Senior research fellow (NAIP-flowers) and group of Flower Growers from Sathyamangalam, Udumelpet, Pollachi, Nilakkottai, Kodaikkanal and Hosur (Totally 27 Nos.) were accompanied.  

Table 1. Tour Schedule

Visit to flora expo 2010, Bangalore (21.08.10)

Bangalore flora expo was conducted on 20-22 August, 2010 at Palace ground, Bangalore which was supported by Ministry of Agriculture (Govt. of India), National Horticultural Board (NHB), Department of Horticulture (Govt. of Karnataka). 21^st August 2010, we were visited flora expo and did some discussion between our flower growers and traders cum experts in exhibition had taken place. The flora expo has machineries such as green house accessories, irrigation system accessories, gardening tools etc., from flower traders and exporters were displayed and it would be beneficial for our group of flower growers.

Visit to K. R. Flower Market (Krishna Rajendra Market), Bangalore (22.08.10)

Impotance of K.R. flower market

            City Market has been named as K R Market after the name of Mysore king Maharaj Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. This market is more than a century old and still so colorful and vibrant. This was the first place in Asia where the first electric bulb was lit in 1905. There are two wholesale flower markets in Bangalore, one at K.R.market (better known as City market) and Russel market, Shivajinagar. The former is bigger and most of the wholesale trade in traditional flowers takes place there. The day market is operated from morning 4.00am to 2.00 pm. Modern flowers are traded in Russel market. Nearly 60 per cent of the total flower trade in the state is concentrated in KR Market, Yeswanthapur and Sivajinagara in Bangalore City. The rest of the flower trade is taking place in other big cities such as Hubli-Dharwad, Mysore and other district headquarters. According to NHB data, indicates that about 6,314 MT of flowers arrived into the K R market valued at Rs.4,846 lakhs.

Marketing channels

The marketing of traditional flowers is carried out mainly through three channels: They are:

If Flowers from karnataka

1. Producer - Commision Agent – Wholesaler – Retailer - Consumer

2. Producer - Pre-harvest Contractor - Commision Agent – Wholesaler – Retailer -  Consumer

If flowers comes from outside the state

3. Producer - Commision Agent at Primary Wholesale Market - Commission Agent at      

    Secondary Wholesaler to Retailer - Consumer.

Market activities

A recent visit to KR flower market has revealed that about 250-300 Traders-cum- commission agents were operating flower trade as against 50-60 in 1960. They were acting as selling agents for the farmers and collected 10-12 per cent as commission. The flowers mainly traded here comprised of loose flowers such as Chrysanthemum, Jasmine, Marigold, Crossandra, Aster and Roses etc. The rest of the varieties did not arrive in this market as the producers themselves sold them outside the market early in the morning by keeping them on footpath. To carry out business here the producer has to bribe the police and the corporation sweepers to the extent of Rs.10 per day.

Flower arrival seasons

Flower arrival in the market is seasonal (Table 2). Rose (traditional) is bought and sold outside the market premises generally. Where the sellers themselves retail them. Most of the trade takes place at predetermined contract prices. The city service buses carry maximum flowers to the city market from the villages and suburbs of Bangalore. Farmers bring roses on motorcycles also. Long distance flowers are however transported by bus, truck or train.

Table 2: Peak and Slack Seasons for Different Flowers

 *The demand for chrysanthemum, marigold and aster reaches peak during October due to Dhasara

Cut flowers Farm visit, Hosur (22.08.10)

            In the same day of 22^nd August after noon we were visited the cut flower farm cultivation in Hosur. The main flowers are grown in that farm is Rose, cultivated by Mr. Sivakumar under the area of 5000 sq. ft. it has been grown under the green house conditions. That has been constructed with iron pipes support structure covered with poly sheets. The flowers grown in this farm exported to USA, UAE etc., he is fully equipped with all infrastructures that has required for export market such has cold storage, grading and packing instruments, skilled labours, logistics, drip irrigation, fertigation system etc., During the visit he has explained his farm supervising and administrating qualities to our accompanied farmers and staff. Also, Capsicum and Tomato farm visited and discussed about their cultivation practices and post harvesting practices.