Products to be launched at expo

The three-day event will focus on the industry's growth and display the floral wealth available in India. It will also see the launch of new products, national floral art and florist competition, training programme and Flora Expo Annual Award function.

The event aims at providing a platform for Indian growers and exporters to interact with international buyers in India and abroad and will also showcase current maket trends and buyer requirements. The event is also supported by Ministry of Agriculture, APEDA, under the Ministry of Commerce, National Horticulture Board, National Horticulture Mission, Technology Mission for the North-east and all active floriculture and Nursery Associations in India.

Union Agriculture Secretary T Nandakumar, who presided over the event, said, “The Agriculture Ministry is happy that the expo is an excellent showcase for Indian floriculture.” Meanwhile, S Jafar Naqvi, Chief Co-ordinator of Flora Expo 2009 & President (iFlora), informed that India was world’s fastest growing retail market and second largest consumer base. So it had unlimited opportunities for growth.

"Flora Expo will facilitate interaction with flower growers globally and to win recognition for India as an important producer of flowers & plants. This is part of a new National Vision for Floriculture, the brainchild of former president Abdul Kalam. Hitherto a marginal player in the global flower business, the India is targeting a growth of 20 to 25 per cent annually," he said.

He added that at present flower trade has attracted the largest demand from an estimated 300 million middle-class flower-loving people with consumption in the cities and major towns at 40 per cent per annum. Flower retail shops and boutiques have mushroomed in major metros. Further, the supermarket and hypermarket retail chains have fueled growth in consumption.

In spite of floriculture industry having a lot of potential, many are skeptical about the industry growing in a major way. The main problems are non-availability of proper marketing facilities even in the main consumer and distribution base in major cities, lack of a sustainable long term plan and lack of leadership.