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Investment needed to develop floriculture
FAISALABAD-The floriculturists of the University of
Agriculture Faisalabad have stressed the need to develop
domestic flower market to exploit its domestic as well as
export potential.
Underlining the huge potential of floriculture existing in
Pakistan, they said that Pakistan has been blessed with most
suitable agro-climatic conditions to develop floriculture for
economic gains. However, modern technology is must to develop
and strengthen the domestic flower market by increasing the
profit margin of flower growers. They told that Holland,
Germany, Italy, France, Columbia and Israel are dominating the
international export market of flowers as they have done 90%
work on floriculture. However, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan,
Malaysia, Sri Lanka
and India are new entrants into this field and they have also
acquired capability to export flowers.
They said that investment is needed to develop floriculture
and in this connection government should extend necessary
loans to the flower growers also. Underlining the importance
of technology, they said that most of the European countries
and Israel are getting as many as 140 cut flowers of rose from
only one square meter.
On the contrary India is getting only 13-14 flowers from this
area. They said that Pakistan should explore the demand of
specific and exotic varieties of flowers and grow only those
varieties, which could be easily exported yielding maximum
return. "Local agricultural research institutions should
locally prepare seeds of the exotic varieties of flowers",
they said and added that Pakistan has already attained
expertise in this specific field and could easily cater to the
domestic needs of the flower Industry.
They further said that as the flowers are perishable items, modern
technology would also be needed for its safe and fresh
transportation. This also needed huge investment, they said
and added that flowers could also be used for extraction of
fragrance. Rose Petals have medicinal value and are used in
preparing popular laxative "Gulkand".
December 8, 2001
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