Scent of the jasmine

The ‘Shankarapura Mallige’ (jasmine) has a huge demand. There have been many families that have built their livelihoods around this famed flower. There are families that have managed to grow anywhere between 10 and 100 plants on plots ranging between 10 and 50 cents. They have educated their children, married them off and built houses from money earned from this jasmine variety. But today the situation has taken a different turn. Jasmine growers are being exploited by middlemen.

This jasmine grows in Udupi’s southern region including areas such as Shirva, Belmannu, Kaupu, Katapadi and Shankarapura. The jasmine buds are plucked, strung together and sold in the local markets. If a family has 10 to 15 such plants in its courtyard, then the family members string the flowers together and sell them.

There’s a demand for these flowers across the coastal belt, and particularly between January and June. Orders are placed at least a fortnight in advance sometimes. Today, the sale of these flowers is in the hands of middlemen. The growers are losing out on their profits, because they are not being allowed to sell their produce on their own. The growers are hoping that a jasmine growers’ co-operative society is formed by the government to streamline the marketing and sale scenario. Jasmine cultivators are also hoping that such a society would help in fixing prices, bringing in a cooling  system that would keep the flowers fresh for a longer duration, providing information about cultivation practices, processing flowers to prepare scented oils etc.

“In recent times, there has been an increasing number of pest attacks on  jasmine plants, which is affecting the flowers. It is important that jasmine growers get adequate technical counselling on these issues,” says farmer Suresh Rao.

If one looks at the profits that all Shankarapura Mallige growers are making on an annual basis, it does not exceed Rs 35 to 40 crore.  Middlemen are making at least Rs 200 crore, according to estimates.

Patent issue

Then, there’s the issue of patenting these flowers. According to farmer leader Bantakallu Ramakrishna Sharma, “many multinationals are trying hard to get a patent for this jasmine. The government is trying to get a patent for this flower on behalf of farmers.

“If the government gets the patent, then, there is no cause for worry. Otherwise, the jasmine grower might find himself in a situation where he has to seek the permission of the multinational before planting his jasmine sapling.”

The government should start a co-operative society for these farmers at the earliest, and sale of Shankarapura jasmine should be through this society, he points out.
The Shankarapura Mallige (Udupi), Mysore Mallige and Hoovina Hadagali Mallige have already been given a Geographical Indication tag. The government has given the go-ahead for a Jasmine farm near Ramasamudra in Karkala region.

Horticulture department sources point out that as many as 15,000 free jasmine saplings have been distributed recently for growers. Also, there are plans to open a Jasmine Bidding Centre at Shivalli under the Udupi Municipality limits, the sources explain.