Ghorahi (Dang), 4 March: The garden of Lokendra Roka Magar, a 39-year-old farmer from Jhingaura, Ghorahi Sub-metropolitan City-14, is still full of centipede flowers. He is busy selling flowers and garlands even during the off-season.
He said, “Nowadays, I have been selling flowers for Rs. 400 per kilo and garlands for Rs. 765 to Rs. 790.” Flowers bloom not only during festivals but also in Magar’s gardens. He is satisfied with this business, which he has been doing professionally. His income has also improved from his flower farming. Before starting flower farming, he was working abroad.
“I started flower farming after returning from working abroad for a long time,” he said. “I have been earning more income from flower farming than I have earned abroad. I am thinking of expanding this business further instead of going abroad.”
Roka Magar, who spent seven years in Qatar for employment, started growing flowers after seeing the demand for flowers in the district for festivals such as Dashain and Tihar and other auspicious occasions. He has been growing flowers for the past 12 years. He said that he had rented one and a half bighas of land for growing flowers during the last Tihar and is currently producing centipede flowers in two plots. He says that now the demand for flower garlands is coming from places such as Ghorahi, Tulsipur, Lamahi.
“Since many farmers in the district cultivate flowers only during festivals, they are not able to supply the flower garlands as per the demand during the off-season,” he said. “During this time, flowers die due to cold, so it is difficult to preserve them, so it is not possible to cultivate flowers in a large area. The flowers that started being sold from the first week of Falgun will remain until Jestha.” He said that flower garlands are being sold at various meetings, conferences, programs, and weddings, pujas, etc.
At the 6th Agriculture, Tourism and Trade Festival held in Jhingaura, Ghorahi-14 from February 2 to 18, Kisan Magar says that he earned more than Rs 150,000 by selling flowers, garlands and various flower plants. He has also been making and selling wedding garlands. He has planned to sell the garlands for Rs 1,000. Kisan Magar has also produced Bijli flowers to make garlands.
