<p class="title">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<br />farms.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Shanmukappa Anaji, an aggrieved farmers from Ganajuru poured out his woes to <span class="italic">DH</span>, “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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>
<p class="title">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<br />farms.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Shanmukappa Anaji, an aggrieved farmers from Ganajuru poured out his woes to <span class="italic">DH</span>, “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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>
