With no takers, Haveri farmers let flowers wilt at farm

The coronavirus-induced lockdown has hit the floriculturists in the district hard. With no takers for galate flower, the farmers are destroying flowers or letting the produce wilt in the
farms.

Many farmers of Ganajuru, Hanumanahalli, Kallapur, Basapur among other villages in the taluk have taken to galate flower (yellow flowers in full bloom looks like chrysanthemum) cultivation. There is a huge demand for galate flowers in Haveri and adjoining districts. Buyers from districts buy the flower from Haveri market.

Shanmukappa Anaji, an aggrieved farmers from Ganajuru poured out his woes to DH, “I had procured galate flower saplings from Dharwad and transplanted the same three months back. I had harvested twice and sold the flower at Rs 30 per kg. I was expecting a good harvest and profits, this Ugadi. But everything went haywire following the lockdown clamped to curb the virus spread. I didn’t pluck about 3 quintals of flowers. Both flowers and plants wilted due to pest menace. I didn’t have any option but to destroy the plants, which I did using my tractor,” he rued.

“I have spent Rs 6,000 for saplings and a further Rs 17,000 on tilling, manure and labourers. In return, I got just Rs 5,000. I would have earned Rs 2 lakh in six months even if the flowers were sold at a below par price of Rs 25- to Rs 30 per kg. My hard work and money have gone down the drain due the pandemic,” the farmer lamented.

The story of Nagaraj Angadi, a farmer from Ganajuru, is no different. Angadi, who is into galate flower cultivation for the past six-to-seven years, has let the produce wilt at its farm owing to the lockdown and drastic fall in price.