Floriculture Today - November 2011 by S Jafar Naqvi

Floriculture Today November 2011

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S. Jafar Naqvi

Consulting Editors T.V. Satyanarayanan K Dharmarajan Chief Coordinator M.B. Naqvi

Contents

Editorial Coordinator Shipra Singh

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Indian Floriculture 10 A Fascinating Growth Story Rise n’ Shine’s Vision — Mrs. Bhagyshree Patil (MD) 16 Indian Flower Exports Where do we stand? — Praveen Sharma 18 Sunny Days Ahead for Floriculture in India — Robert de Bos 20 K F Bioplants: Exploring New Frontiers To Meet Changing Needs 22

Floriculture Today November 2011

Sheel Biotech A reliable name in Tissue culture, Greenhouse Construction, & representation of breeders in India — S.N. Chandak

24 Business in bloom — SK Gutgutia 25 Bangalore Plants First Pvt. Ltd. plant propagation and floriculture know-how Cooperation 26 The Dutch treat is here! Setting the pace for Indo-Dutch cooperation in Floriculture Medicinal & Aromatic Plants 34 Lavender Cultivation to Face Climate Change A Viable Option for Kashmiri Growers

Vol 16....... Issue 6 ...... November 2011

Editorial

— Manipadma Jena

Floriculture Today November 2011

Editorial

he reasons are inexplicable; but the fact is that many things are done in this country in a haphazard or half-hearted manner. Decisions may be impeccable, but there would no logical follow-up, with the result, actual work remains half-done. How else do we explain the recent shifting of the flower Mandis located in different places in the national capital to a new site in Gazipur? The raison d’etre for the shifting is lack of proper infrastructure or impracticability of creating it in the sites they were functioning. However, the state of affairs in new Mandi at Gazipur, close to the Uttar Pradesh border, is in no way different. Sellers sit huddled together on Kutcha roads and pavements, with temporary shades put up in a random fashion, leaving the produce to face the vagaries of harsh weather conditions like heat, cold or rains. The traders say the Mandi site is supposed to be a parking place, yet to be developed, for the adjacent fruit and vegetables market. When the first news of shifting came, the first reaction was a sense of relief as well as enthusiasm in the office of Floriculture Today, since the magazine has been consistently making a plea through editorials, articles and write-ups for setting up in the capital city a proper wholesale flower market, having new age infrastructure to benefit growers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers. After all, no industry or business can blossom fully in the absence of support infrastructure and marketing linkage. The enthusiasm, however, was short-lived, as the first look at the condition of the new Mandi reflected a big gap between the promise and the reality. In her address at the Flora Expo 2007, Delhi’s Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had announced her government’s intention to establish a modern wholesale market for flowers, complete with all state-of-the-art facilities. The announcement had evoked a big round of applause from all stakeholders present at the event. Three main Mandis were thriving in the capital region – one at Baba Kharak

Singh Marg in central Delhi, another at famed Chandni Chowk in old Delhi, and the third at Mehrauli, near historic Qutab Minar. Of these, the one at central Delhi was the largest flower market in Asia for cut flowers, exotic as well as native. It functioned in the morning hours up to 10 A M. All the three markets were catering to a variety of traders and consumers and business was particularly brisk during the wedding season. The demand was high from the hospitality sector as well, according to figures available with the Flower Market Association. The main problem that these Mandis faced was lack of infrastructure worth the name. Consequently, everyone was looking forward to opening of a new wholesale market, which, according to plans, envisaged conducting business in a more orderly way, with traders and commission agents getting registered with the Delhi Marketing Board. It is unfortunate, therefore, that except for the change of site, nothing has changed after shifting. Actually, many growers and regular customers are facing hardships because of distance factor, coupled with weaknesses in supply chain management. The flowers coming by air from western, southern and eastern parts of India have to traverse a longer distance, pushing up the transportation cost. Produce coming by rail from interior Maharashtra also faces similar problems. Figures show that the flow of imported flowers to India – from Thailand, Australia and even Colombia via Dubai – is on the rise. The national capital of India, and for that matter all flower production and trading hubs in the country like Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, urgently need first rate wholesale flower markets-cum-auction centres to give a fillip to floriculture, which has high potential to bring prosperity to the rural areas. Probably, instead of being over-dependent on government, it would be a good idea if both government and trade pool their resources together – PPP model – and create top class facilities in the Mandis for mutual benefit.

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Views expressed by individuals and contributors in the magazine are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Floriculture Today editorial board. Floriculture Today does not accept any responsibility of any direct, indirect or consequential damage caused to any party due to views expressed by any one or more persons in the trade. All disputes are to be referred to Delhi Jurisdiction only. .....Editor

Floriculture Today November 2011

Indian Floriculture

Floriculture

A Fascinating Growth Story Rise n’ Shine’s Vision

— Mrs. Bhagyshree Prasad Patil (MD) Rise n’ Shine Biotech Pvt Ltd

“All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today”

he future of floriculture in India is inter-woven with our glorious past – flowers are as much part of our present as they are of our future. Unique is the language of flowers, allowing people to express their feelings which could otherwise not be spoken. Flowers are the symbols of that expression. Traditionally, Lord Ganesha is worshipped before starting any venture to ensure success. It seems therefore appropriate that the Rise n’ Shine Group of Companies made in humble beginnings in Theur, near Pune, home to famous temple dedicted to Lord Ganesha — one of the Ashta Vinayaka “Chintamani” temple. The company was established in 1999, just before the dawn of the new 10 10 Floriculture Today November 2011

Millennium. Initially, the company started to supply flowers to the domestic markets, mainly Delhi, Mumbai and other metropolitan cities.

Bhagyshree Prasad Patil

Expansion With great vision, in 2004, it decided to go commercial. Its activity graduated to tissue culture plant propagation, which now includes a 70,000 square feet, state of the art lab with an annual production of 30 million plants! The future expansion plans being demand driven, the company will soon double its capacity. Two new ultra modern tissue culture laboratories would be on stream soon, raising the total area to cover 1.4 Lakh sq feet. By

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Indian Floriculture increasing demand for its product, the company started to construct another two tissue culture laboratories covering 70,000 sqft. We have hardening facility of 4 Ha climate-controlled green houses and 6 ha secondary hardening greenhouse. The company, already endorsed by the Department of Biotechnology, (Govt of India) is an ISO 9001-2008 Certified Company and will soon be ISO 14001 compliant. We also have a state of art research facility which is the backbone of our company. In-house testing of plant quality for genetic purity and virus indexing is also carried out here. In order to give our bouquet of products a world class fragrance, we have major collaborative ventures with Terra Nigra B.V, of The Netherlands, renowned as a dynamic gerbera and rose breeding company. We have also tied up with world’s strongest carnation breeding company from Spain, Barberet & Blanc SA. We are expanding the footprint of our international collaborations while increasing the size of the addressable market. As Henry David Thoreau said “The Earth laughs in flowers.” The growth of floriculture in India is commensurate with our growing economy which has hit an upward curve despite the global economic downturn. The threshold of the 21st century has seen a paradigm shift in our growth rates. The swath along our west coast between Pune and Bangalore has seen a flowering of growth due to geographic advantage and logistic connectivity, both for the domestic and international markets. Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature After liberalization, the Govt. of India identified floriculture as a sunrise industry and accorded it 100 percent exportoriented status. Owing to steady increase in demand of flowers, floriculture has become an important commercial trade in the agriculture space. Commercial floriculture has emerged as hi-tech activity taking place under controlled climatic conditions inside greenhouse, mainly consisting of cut flowers, potted plants, cut foliage, seeds, bulbs, tubers, rooted cuttings and dried flowers, including leaves.

The growth of floriculture in India is commensurate with our growing economy which has hit an upward curve despite the global economic downturn.

Our expanding economy and the retail chain infrastructure in the country have given a boost to the aspirations of the middle class which is the major contributor to the growth of floriculture sector. The governments at the Centre and the State levels have given floriculture the necessary impetus through incentives and initiatives. APEDA has established dedicated floriculture export zones which will give the advantage of economies of scale.

Agriculture is a growth story, and in this spectrum, floriculture is a leader In the near future 100% foreign direct investments, contract farming, joint ventures and foreign collaborations are being planned, providing investors a viable option. Flower Auction Centres are planned at Bangalore, Mumbai, Noida (Delhi) and Kolkata. These will facilitate trading and price recovery for a variety of flowers, both for the export and domestic markets. The growth in floriculture has been phenomenal in the last decade with the area under flower cultivation having doubled. The international trade in floriculture has grown to $16 billion as estimated by the Flower Council of The Netherlands. The value of exports of floriculture products from India has shown very significant growth, from Rs.18.83 crore (1993-94) to over Rs.305 crore (2005-06). India is still a marginal player in the world floriculture trade, indicating the strong potential that can be exploited. If Indian floriculture has to achieve the ambitious export target of Rs.1,000 crore per annum over the next 5 years, a total review is essential. The key issues that need to be addressed in the Indian context are — economies of scale, product range, contemporary varieties, off-season exports, quality control and certification, including cold chain initiatives. APEDA Floriculture Today November 2011 11

Indian Floriculture

has been addressing these issues through various fora with its mandate to promote floriculture exports from India. NABARD in conjunction with NHB has given focus floriculture business. Great Future Though the annual domestic demand for the flowers is growing at a rate of over 25% and international demand at around Rs.90,000 crore, India’s share in international market of flowers is negligible. India has a blooming future as far as floriculture is concerned. Enormous genetic diversity, varied agro climatic conditions, versatile human resources and the like offer India a unique scope for judicious employment of existing resources and exploration of new avenues. Corporate Houses should be encouraged to set up units on global scale and size, so that they can meet the volume, consistency and quality demands of the global buyers. Companies like Reliance, ITC, Tata Tea, Bharti Group/ Field Fresh and the Thapar Group are planning investments in the floriculture sector. Attention must be focussed on reduction in import duty on planting material and equipment. Airfreight should be reduced to a reasonable level with sufficient cargo space being provided. Establishment of model nurseries would 12 12 Floriculture Today November 2011

Enormous genetic diversity, varied agro climatic conditions, versatile human resources and the like offer India a unique scope for judicious employment of existing resources and exploration of new avenues. help supplying genuine planting material. Co-operative florist organizations should be established at regional level. Training centres for diploma course on the pattern of ITI for training the personnel in floriculture would go a long way in giving professional employment opportunities. Though the global floriculture industry is growing comparatively at a faster

pace than in India, scope still exists to bridge the demand and supply gap. India is endowed with diverse agro-climatic conditions like good quality soils, suitable climate, abundant water supply, low labour cost, proximity to markets in Japan, Russia, South-East Asia, and the MiddleEast. Subsidy on airfreight for export of cut flowers and tissue-cultured plants is allowed by the Government. Import duties have been reduced on cut flowers, flower seeds, and tissue-cultured plants. Setting up of “walk-in” type cold storage has been allowed at the International airports for storage of export produce. Direct subsidy upto 50 percent of the pre-cooling and cold storage units is available, and a subsidy for using improved packaging material is given by APEDA. Eleven-model floriculture centre units and two large centres, 20 tissue culture units have been established by Ministry of Agriculture. The Government will play a crucial role in physical planning, infrastructure creation, tax legislation and policies in respect of export oriented floriculture units through its various ministries and a subsidy is given through its specialized bodies like NHB and APEDA. The tax legislative measures that are favourable to the Indian Floriculture industry would include zero import duties on import of plant materials without the need for an import license. Duty free imports on certain components of green house structures would be an added advantage. With our experience we feel, the Indian floriculture industry is poised for high growth and that is the opinion of most experts in the field. Enormous genetic diversity, varied agro climatic conditions, versatile human resources, are critical factors that contribute to the industry. Other factors like the retail revolution, contract farming of flowers for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compounds, essential oils and other value added products would give a further fillip to the industry. Dry flowers are the future of this industry. It will be the greatest foreign exchange earner for the industry. The employment opportunities in this field are as varied as the nature of

Indian Floriculture work itself. One can join the field of floriculture as farm/estate managers, plantation experts and supervisors, project coordinators among others. Research and teaching are some other avenues of employment in the field. Marketing of floriculture products for different ventures and events is emerging as a potential segment of this field. Besides, one can work as consultant, landscape architect etc with proper training. One can also work as entrepreneur and offer employment to others. In addition to these careers which involve research and actual growing of crops, floriculture also provides career opportunities which include such jobs as floral designers, groundskeepers, landscape designers, architects and horticultural therapists. Such jobs require practitioners to deal directly with clients. Where flowers bloom there does hope! Professional qualifications combined with an inclination towards gardening and such other activities produce efficient floriculturists and landscaping professionals. The skills and knowledge required are imparted under the professional courses of floriculture and landscaping. Flowers leave some of their fragrance in the hand that bestows them At Rise nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Shine we believe in a value system of giving back to society. The association of women and flowers as a symbol for fertility is as old as the Roman goddess Flora. Our belief has manifested itself in the empowerment of women who comprise more than 85% of our members. Our contributions have enhanced the local rural economy to improve the quality of life at the grass root level. Our Company has a family orientation which has a long term perspective â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Professionalism through Happiness is our simple mantra. We shall strive for inclusive growth with our small contributions of a global perspective with a local fragrance. Floriculture is a fashion-driven industry where the trends evolve and vanish in quick succession. To make a rewarding career in floriculture, the golden rule is to be innovative and constantly evolve ideas

and products that are in harmony with the current world trends. To prepare for a career in floriculture, the best option is to acquire a fouryear BSc (horticulture) degree or to study horticulture as a subject in a BSc (agriculture) degree programme. Subsequently, an MSc in horticulture, followed by a PhD and post-doctoral fellowship is ideal. Graduate and postgraduate training in floriculture are available at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, Indian

Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore and the National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow. The Agricultural Universities in Maharastra include the Marathwada Agril. University, Parbhani and the Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri. At the DY Patil Group of Educational Institutes, an initiative has been taken in this direction and exchange programs with renowned foreign universities is on the cards. This will contribute to the future of floriculture in the techno-commercial space.

Bread indeed feeds the body,, but flowers feed the soul Floriculture Today November 2011 13

14 Floriculture Today November 2011

Floriculture Today November 2011 15

INDIAN FLORICULTURE

— Praveen Sharma Flora Consult, Pune

HE export oriented cut fl ower industry in India is two decades old. Since the fi rst export oriented fl ower project was established by Tata Industries in Pune Region in 1991. The industry was vigorously promoted by export promotion agency for agriculture products i.e. APEDA and NHB. Many entrepreneurs jumped in to this industry with a dream to run a very successful fl ower business. The export performance of Indian fresh fl ower exports was dismal in last 3-4 years (Below Rs.100 Crores).The trend is further declining. The traditional export zones like Pune and Banglore are slowly succumbing to rising value of real estate. Many of 100% EOU’s( Export Oriented Units) have closed shops. The main causes of dismal performance of Indian fl oriculture exports are followings: I. Phenomenal rise in the real estate value of the property: Most of the fl ower projects in Banglore were situated in out skirts of the city and close to present International Airport. Due to tremendous growth in the city and infrastructure, many of them decided to withdraw from fl ower business. In Pune, the well known fl oriculture export zone called Talegaon Dabhade in Maval Taluka, has witnessed phenomenal real estate growth, and it is the hot destination for the real estate projects. II. Shortage of work force: In last two decades this region has witnessed tremendous industrial growth, this has very positive effect on the socio economic development of the region. The rural youth is now educated and skilled. They are fi nding better job prospects in 16 FLORICULTURE TODAY November 2011

Logic is simple, when Indian Businessman can go and set up huge Flower Projects in Africa and become the largest grower in the world. Why not in India? India with varied climatic zones has all the potential to produce the international quality flowers. — Praveen Sharma the ongoing industrial development. This in turn has resulted in shortage of unskilled labor in this region. To hire migratory labor from far locations is not cost effective. III. Growth of other industry in the vicinity, mainl Automobile and Information Technology: The Pune region has transformed into a Automobile

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Indian Floriculture Manufacturing Hub, where likes of General Motors, J.C.B., Hyundai, Volks Wagon have established their manufacturing units. Similarly Bangalore is world known IT Hub, where we are hosting the all world leaders in IT industry. This is attracting the talents from all over, due lucrative packages. This has also resulted in the shortage of skilled work force for floriculture industry. IV. Global warming: There is considerable rise in temperature trends in last one decade, especially in Pune Region, where the temperature never used to go above 38 deg .cel.; these days peak temperatures reach as high as 42deg. Cel., in general there is 3-4 deg.cel., rise in the mean monthly temperature, in last 20 years. The rise in temperature has given new challenge to growers. They need to incur extra cost by installing additional fogging and roof cooling accessories. V. Growth in Domestic Market: Indian flower market has witnessed constant growth, and is ever growing. This also has affected the exports. On many occasion it is found that prices on Indian Market are better than Japan or Holland Auctions. There is tremendous potential in Indian Flower Market, which is still unexploited. There is need for effective cold chain distribution network of flowers to various metros. New growing areas and trends: Due to above mentioned factors the new generation flower projects are mainly coming up in far locations. They are mostly 6 to 10 hours drive from International Airports. The main reason for this is reasonable land cost, availability of labor and slightly better climate. The growth can be divided in two main categories: a.

Big Export Oriented Flower Projects (Above 6 ha): There are very few new projects in the offing and this category is growing at very slow pace.

Small Projects: This category is mushrooming at very fast pace all over the country, thanks to National Horticulture Mission, which is offering very attractive subsidies in association with various state governments. It is estimated that every year about 800-1000 acres greenhouse area will add in to this category, which may have about 500-600 acres under floriculture. However, contribution of this category for exports will be negligible, in the absence of Common export platform.

Future of Exports: Looking at the present trends, India may not be able to maintain exports performance, and decline in the exports is inevitable. Ways to boost exports performance: 1. Identification of and mapping of various climatic zones in India for the suitability of different flower species: In the past the growing regions were selected keeping the

vicinity to international airports in mind. Thanks to the growth in infrastructure, we have a very effective aviation network and increased number of international airports. This gives us freedom to choose far location with right climate for right crop. Recently undersigned had been to Meghalaya, and saw the quality of Roses being grown by farmers. The flower bud size was 5.5cms, which is comparable to Ethiopian or Colombian Roses; these Roses can be sold in a premium category in International Market. The pity is, in such a good climate zone we do not get an investor who can set up independent export oriented unit. Such a unit requires investment of 6-8 crores. 2. Government Support: Presently National Horticulture Board is promoting the greenhouse industry all over India, followed by APEDA. The schemes offered by them are very good for small farmers. But do not have much to offer for export oriented units, which have investment of 6-8 crores. The highest limit of NHB is Rs.50 lacs. Once the crop mapping of entire country is done, the above agencies may provide a High Thrust Package of Export Oriented Units for 3- 5 years, in the respective regions, for specific species of flowers. This will encourage big industrial groups to invest in the region and set up successful export oriented businesses. This will automatically support the small farmers and offer them a base for developing exports for their products. Logic is simple, when Indian Businessman can go and set up huge Flower Projects in Africa and become the largest grower in the world. Why not in India? India with varied climatic zones has all the potential to produce the international quality flowers. There is a need to have a pragmatic approach from the Government Agencies. 3. Support to ongoing projects: APEDA is encouraging exports by way of offering freight subsidy to growers for exports. As mentioned above, presently all the new projects are far from the International Airport, they are incurring higher freight cost due to inland transport from Farm till Airport. This comes to about 10 to15% of the total freight. APEDA is offering subsidy on in land transport to other crops, but not the flowers. They may include the flower also in this category. 4. Establishment of Horticulture Training Centers: Since India is a huge country, there is need to have knowledge centers in every state. The increase in number of greenhouse should not exceed the pace of knowledge transfer. Should this happen, we will end up many greenhouse turn in to Fodder Storage facility. (It has happened in the past) If all the above measures are followed pragmatically there is no reason why India cannot be a force in the international market. If India does not take up a systematic path in the development of floriculture industry, there is a serious threat of increase in Flower Imports. India is already under pressure from many producing countries to open up the flower market to world. n Floriculture Today November 2011 17

Indian Floriculture

Sunny Days Ahead for Floriculture in India — Robert de Bos (Director) Bangalore Plants First Pvt. Ltd.

n addition to its thousands of years of traditional flower growing, flowerheads sold per kilo for celebrations and festivals, India decided in the early nineties to participate and play a role in the world economy by opening its borders for foreign trade and investments, export floriculture was seen as a important activity. Taking place in the rural areas and labour intensive were positive social aspects and exports of flowers would earn foreign exchange. The Government supported financially the establishment of projects. The large corporate companies stepped in to set up projects of several hectares. But ‘hi-tech’ floriculture, moreover in green houses, was very new in technique and management and there was a learning curve to it. Hence the export did not take off smoothly and soon the local markets were flooded with stemmed flowers as roses, gerberas and carnations. Initially, investments had been very

18 18 Floriculture Today November 2011

high for all the imported materials, including green houses and plant material, but also for top class infrastructure, including large site-offices cum guest houses. The cost price of the flower was high. Thereafter the floriculture business has

developed differently from other countries with flower exports. Several years later, end 90s, the followers had seen it right; cut your costs and sell local. The local supply industry was already developing and hence with much lower costs, the next floriculture generation made profits at low local prices, while the pioneers lost money in every flower. In areas as Pune and Bangalore small scaled farmers built green houses of 1000 or 2000 m2 with help of the Government. The dedicated grower was able to make it a valuable source of income, not only with flower growing, but also vegetables like capsicum. State Governments all over the country have followed this trend by pro actively offering subsidies for the construction of small green houses and shade net houses for improvement of farmers’ income. Thousands of these green houses have been built over the last years. In the North

Indian Floriculture where the winters are cold, a greenhouse gives a better climate for a period, even if it cannot be used in the 5 summer months, due to very high temperatures. Apart from the main markets in the large places, many smaller cities and towns are provided with flowers and vegetables from these growers. India is a large country, from North to South almost 3500 km and hence in aspect of cultivation it is diverse because of huge climate differences. The South, close to the equator has stable conditions, but the North has rather strong seasonal influences, changing day-length and temperatures between summer and winter. Here, in the lower altitudes we can grow in the winter, but in the summer the temperatures go up to more than 45 degr.C. Then we have to be higher up, in the foot hills of the Himalayas, where however, the winter is too cold. The Deccan Plateau that stretches between Mumbai to Bangalore is at 600 to 800 meter above sea level and is good for winter and summer production, even if the period April-May is rather hot. In the South we have some mountain ranges that offer a similar climate as the higher regions in Ethiopia. Most of the South however is at sea level and is tropical hot. With professional run export oriented units with full facilities and small farmers with 500 m2 green houses, lacking proper facilities and cultivation practises, the diversity of floriculturists is as much as the diversity in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture. Winners, survivors and losers come all together in the strongest point for the floriculture in India, the existence of a local market. Demand criteria here are low and better quality is hardly paid for. Production can be undertaken in simple, inexpensive ways and cheap transport without cooling can be done by (slow) car, bus and train. Due to the periodically somewhat higher temperatures and low air humidity levels, also in the main export regions, it is not easy to make a consistent quality of flowers throughout the year. In roses, from June through August, the budsizes are relatively small, carnations have, except in the mountains everywhere else a period of hot weather that brings the crop down

and many a place further to the North does not have 8 months suitable climate. The year-around export potential is mainly from Bangalore and Pune areas and the last years Gujarat, a State further North, is joining in during the winter months. These export oriented projects have the necessary infrastructure, like cool storage and cool transport to ensure a necessary quality standard. With the economic growth over the last 15 to 20 years costs have gone up, wages and fuel have more than doubled, even tripled. Transport cost for export is comparatively high. Many smaller green houses, promoted by the State Governments, spread out over the country, do neither have a suitable climate for export for more than 6 months nor the facilities and volume for export. Also, cultivation practices are simple and not of high technical standards, either because of cost factors or insufficient technical knowledge. Also for local sales, climate limitations in many locations and lack of an organised market are bottlenecks. This has reduced the success rate of the green house development. Even if a farmer with his family takes care of the crop, income is insufficient as product prices are low. There is little segmentation in the local market. This results in medium quality flowers and lack of interest (to pay) for better or new flower types and generally low prices. Quality is not much in demand, since most of the flowers are used for one day or two days celebrations. Only the top hotels and large companies and one and another high profile meeting or celebration, are willing to pay higher prices for lasting, better flowers. However, the local market is growing in volume at the rate of general economic growth, say more than 8%. At first instance the floriculture, also in Inda, faces the challenge of increasing production cost and stagnant flower prices, certain periods below cost price and for export below shipping cost. This situation is not expected to change and higher quality for the export market may add some value, for the local market not much. Hence cost control is a main issue. However, cost control or reduction should

not affect production quantity. Small farmers may have low production cost, but pests or diseases or frequent nutrient deficiency may easily depress production figures more than the production cost. Therefore good growing practises are necessary for more production per square meter and better quality to ensure proper returns at low prices in future. Low prices cannot be escaped from by switching between carnations and capsicum! The larger, often more professional growers will spend more money to improve facilities and management to ensure production and quality levels. Earlier and longer production of quality flowers will extend the export season. Good fertigation equipment is in demand, labour is used more efficiently, avoidance of pests and diseases by scouting is higher on the priorities than simply spraying. Indian managers with a few years experience in e.g. Kenya or Ethiopia, come back with a broader view on the floriculture and will add to knowledge in the industry. The thousands of smaller growers are mostly in need for technical information and training. There is need for an extension program with a clear curriculum, where experienced and practical persons visit the growers regularly to assist them in the field. Initiatives are undertaken. In India each group of income is represented by millions and for every product there are buyers in these numbers. There is definitely a demand for new flower types and better quality flowers. Intents have been made to get segmentation in the local flower market. When this happens there is a enormous scope for the more professional grower and other flowers. With this large scope for further developments, floriculture in India has a good future, both for local sales as for export. With this continued progress, buyers from abroad will visit more frequently and breeders and propagators of other flower types will look for introducing their products to the ever growing local markets. n

Floriculture Today November 2011 19

INDIAN FLORICULTURE

Exploring New Frontiers To Meet Changing Needs

KF Bioplants Pvt. Ltd. is India’s largest plant biotech company. A joint venture of Kumar Properties and Florist de Kwakel B.V.,Holland, it is a global provider of quality plants of various ornamental flowering species, supplying 40 million plants annually for commercial cultivation allover India and to 25 countries around the world. Backed by eighteen years of experience, it is associated with leading global companies under joint venture and licensee arrangements. The state-of-the-art TC laboratory of about 4000 m’of Futura Bioplants has been established (in addition to 6000 m’ existing facility) in May 2009 to produce Phalaenopsis plants. This is a Joint Venture of KF Bioplants and Floricultura B.Y., The Netherlands. KF Bioplants is located in Pune, 150 kill south of Mumbai, India’s commercial capital. KF Bioplants provides complete on-line technical assistance at every stage of the project, which includes fi eld visits of technical experts, for guidance on fertigation, pest-disease management and polyhouse conditions. Mission Statement Continuously exploring new frontiers for meeting rapidly changing needs, building relationships through value creation for all, rigorously maintaining adherence to welldefi ned internal processes and norms, KF Bioplants is a service organisation delivering long lasting products that transform people’s lives. Quality Policy We at KF Bioplants Pvt. Ltd. are committed to:  Explore new frontiers in product and process improvement to meet rapidly changing customer needs.  Build relationship and enhance satisfaction level with all partners through  Transparent systems  Strict adherence to QMS (Quality Management System)  Continuous improvement in effectiveness of QMS Infrastructure and Facilities: KF Bioplants represents a perfect blend of smooth functioning and sophistication. It has:  10,000 m’ state-of-the-art Laboratory with separate initiation rooms to safeguard the quarantine status of the main facility.  22 fully-monitored Growth Rooms to hold over 15 million plants at one time.  Completely controlled Greenhouses over 4ha, manned by 20 FLORICULTURE TODAY November 2011



highly qualiﬁ ed and experienced personnel to produce quality plants post in-vitro production. Cold storage units and world class logistic facilities to meet domestic and global demand on-time, with highest’ quality.

Tech Tie-Ups Besides Florist de Kwakel B.V., Holland, KF Bioplants also has collaboration with HilverdaKooij Plant Technology B.V., Holland for propagation and marketing of Carnation and limonium in India. The co pany is associated with numerous Dutch plant breeders and laboratories like Sande B.V., Floricultura B.V.; Kapiteyn B.V., Gebr. Vletter & Den Haan and has collaboration with Danziger - ‘Dan’ Flower Farm, Israel for Gypsophila and Biancheri Creations, Italy for Ranunculus. Knowledge Dr. A. F. Mascarehnas, Ex-Scientist of the National Chemical laboratory (NCL) with over 30 years experience in the ﬁeld of tissue culture, is assisted by technical consultants from around the world. The company pol icy is to retain the best scientist in the world for each product. Products KF Bioplants offers plants in-vitro or hardened young plants of the following commercially successful crops: Gerbera

Carnation

Lilium

Limonium

Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)

Phalaenopsis (Orchid)

Gypsophila

Breanthus

Ranunculus

Alstroemeria

Pot Plants of Ornamental Flowering Species

Strawberry

Vegetable Seedlings Reach KF Bioplants produces 40 million plants per annum, of which 55% plants are exported to over 25 countries around the world, mainly Holland, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Israel, U.A.E., Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Kenya, Sri lanka, Mauritius, Nepal and U.S.A. 92% of the domestic ﬂoriculture market is provided with quality planting material by the company. 

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INDIAN FLORICULTURE

Sheel Biotech -

A reliable name in Tissue culture, Greenhouse Construction, & representation of breeders in India — S.N. Chandak

HEEL Biotech Limited (SBL) is a ISO Certified progressive company in the field of Agri-Horticulture having its Corporate Office at New Delhi and branch offi ces at various locations in India. SBL has installed its Tissue Culture Laboratory with Technical Collaboration with a Dutch Company in the year 1994. SBL is supplying quality and disease free planting material all over India. SBL has a team of highly qualifi ed, experienced and dedicated professionals committed to meet customer’s requirement with quality, timely delivery and after sales service. SBL’s STRENGTH 1. TISSUE CULTURE DIVISION SBL has class 10000, most modern High Tech Tissue Culture Laboratory with technical know-how of Dutch company. The Laboratory has been duly recognized by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India and its R&D Lab is accredited by Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt of India. SBL is doing multiplication work for various international Breeders / Companies. 2. GREEN HOUSE DIVISION SBL have full fledged Green House, Poly House, Shade House division establishing Agro-infrastructures for various Agricultural Universities, ICAR 22 FLORICULTURE TODAY November 2011

institutes and various State Horticulture Department & Growers.

division of Tissue Culture Laboratory & Hardening Facility.

3. FLORICULTURE DIVISION: SBL is supplying Gerbera, Rose & Alstromeria (Preesman Holland), Gladiolus (Stoop Flowers Bulbs and Flower & Bulb Association, Holland), Lilium (Dejong Lilies, Holland), Tulip (Jan De Vit), Zantedeschia (Bloomz, Newzealand), Anthurium (Rijn Plant, Holland) and various other ﬂ owering planting materials of reputed international breeders.

OUR COLLABORATIONS:

4. SEED PROCESSING UNIT: SBL has it own seed processing unit at Manesar, Gurgaon. 5. ORGANIC DIVISION SBL is working on Adoption & Certiﬁcation of Organic farming in various states of India.

SBL represents Preesman Plant B.V, Holland for Gerbera, Rose, Alstromeria varieties in India and produce Gerbera in our Laboratory from the imported clones under royalty payments. Preesman breeds and selects new varieties of Roses, Chrysanthemums, Alstroemeria, and Gerbera in its locations all over the world. Preesman covers the globe with its own ofﬁ ces and together with their agents.

6. CLIMATE CHANGE AND INSTRUMENT DIVISION SBL is working in the ﬁ eld of climate change from last couple of years and have earned orders from prestigious Government departments. SBL have established FACE facility at Jabalpur, MP. JOINT VENTURES: SBL is joint venture partner with BIO TECH PARK, LUCKNOW (a Deptt of Bio technology Project) Govt. of Uttar Pradesh organization, to manage & run their

Zantedeschia: SBL represents World renowned breeder M/s Bloomz B.V., New

Indian Floriculture Zealand for Zantedeschia varieties in India and we are regularly importing plants from them as well produce in Laboratory from the imported clones. Bloomz exports tissue culture plants and tubers of standard and patented varieties to more than 30 countries. World renowned for their range of vibrant and top producing Zantedeschia cultivars, providing profitable solutions for growers, providing the latest technical and market knowledge gained over 25 years of research and practical experience.

Anthurium: SBL represent Rijnplant Breeding B. V, Holland in India for Anthurium varieties and we are regularly importing plants from them. RijnPlant is specialized in the R&D, breeding, growth and sales of Anthurium, Bougainvillea and Calathea. Besides that RijnPlant invests a lot in innovation and automatization and tries to play a leading role for horticultural companies worldwide.

Orchid Plants: SBL represents World renowned M/s. Kiwi Orchids, New Zealand & M/s. Valley Orchids, Australia for Orchid Plants varieties. SBL regularly importing plants from them as well. Produce in Laboratory from the clones provided by them. Lilium: SBL represent Dejong Lilies B.V, Holland in India for Lillium varieties and are selling their varieties in India.

Dejong is a 50 years old company suppling bulbs worldwide, specializing in hybridizing, production and the trade of Lilies. De Jong Lelies supplies a wide range of lilies including their own exclusive varieties which are developed in the Hybridizing program.

Glad Bulbs: For Glad Bulbs varieties SBL represent Flowers Bulbs & Association B. V. & F. Stoop B.V., Holland in India and regularly importing Bulbs from them and are selling their varieties in India.

Stoop BV has been active in the flower bulb trade for more than 50 years. The company started as a cultivator of gladioli, and has grown into prestigious exporter of gladioli corms. Flower and bulbs association BV is a company specialised in flower bulbs trade and has a experience of 20 years. FBA delivers top quality bulbs grown in Holland all over the world. n

Floriculture Today November 2011 23

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Indian Floriculture

Business in bloom I

ndia is the second largest producer of flowers after China. The floriculture industry in India has been growing at a CAGR of 25 per cent over the past decade, but challenges related to the trade environment, infrastructure and marketing remain. Overcoming these challenges through strong partnerships are companies such as Florance Flora, one of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading floricultural organizations and a registered distributor for planting material for some of the leading global players, with over three decades of experience in the sector. Florance Flora partnered with Anthura B. V. in 1985 in order to supply high quality genuine young plants that would help cut down mortality rates and yield profits. Over the years, the partnership has resulted in a record 15% YOY sales growth and has made Florance Flora and Anthura B. V. synonymous with high quality plants. The company today supplies genuine young plants of Anthurium, Phalaenopsis and Bromeliads with a dramatic shift in mortality rates (less than 1%). The company has also been able to introduce new varieties of flowers into the Indian market, resulting in higher yields and fresher colours. Today, Florance Flora confidently supports unique initiatives such as the one undertaken by horticulture departments of the North Eastern states of India to introduce floriculture among local farmers.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our partnership with Anthura BV has enabled us to break the traditional market barriers, and emerge on top of our game in the Indian floriculture sector.â&#x20AC;? SK Gutgutia

Indian Floriculture

We are exclusively dedicated to the propagation of plants for cut flower production. Our main products are top grafted rose plants on Natal Briar root stock, carnation plants produced from motherplants imported from the Italian breeder La Villetta, Freesia and Hippeastrum from Penning Holland and Eustoma plants from the Japanese breeders Sakata and Miyoshi. In addition, we produce plant material of Limoniums, Gypsophyla, Statice, Myrtle, Molucella and Eucalyptus Baby Dollar. Others can also be supplied on request. Some of these crops can be grown in the open field, others have to be cultivated in greenhouses. Reproduction and marketing of plants is an increasingly demanding business. Over the years, plant propagation has developed to high levels, requiring well-equipped facilities, precisely executed procedures and excellent professional management. Based on this and together with our long-standing experience, we are able to achieve high quality standards in product and service. Good communication during the order and propagation process with the client, in addition to in-time supply and technical information to the grower, makes our supplies a success in the floriculture. Our operations are based on the following strategic points: v Plants are produced in a transparent manner and are of best possible quality. v Clients receive practical, technical assistance and information before and after supply. v Owners/directors deal directly with client-growers.

development and crop management. Decisions on inputs and procedures are made in discussion with the grower.

v The ultimate goal is for the grower to be successful with our planting material. Plant propagation: Production has to take place in optimal conditions to obtain strong and healthy plants. Around the floriculture areas of Bangalore and Pune, the temperatures are often high, especially in peak season for plant propagation and supply, April, May and June. Therefore we have chosen the location of Yercaud, Tamil Nadu, which is a hill station at 1450 mtr above sea level, hence much cooler. Our facilities and equipment such as heating and cooling, provides for further optimization of the conditions during the propagation process and hardening of the plants. Standard procedures are in place at our farm for high professional execution of the works. Emphasis is on healthy and strong, quality plant material. You are welcome to visit us! Technical assistance: To assure appropriate plant development on grower’s premises, we are involved from before the land preparation till the first flowers and if required, thereafter. We have simple but strict practices for this period of plant

Consultancy: In addition to having worked in many countries around the world in floriculture, we have been involved in almost every part of the Indian Floriculture scenario – from Srinagar to Madurai, from Gujarat to West Bengal. We also have special expertise in growing flowers at high altitudes. Of course Bangalore and Pune are our main hubs. May you be interested in our collaboration as a consultant, we offer flexible schemes, providing assistance on a continued basis, ‘on-call’ or as a troubleshooter. We undertake turnkey projects in floriculture. We look after the business: Robert de Bos. Has been in the floriculture field for many years as a grower, trader and exporter of many flower types, his opinion reflects more than three decades of floriculture experience all over the world. He holds a BSc. degree in Ornamental Horticulture and a MSc degree in International Agriculture Production and Marketing Management from the Netherlands and UK. Rajeshwari.K. Her floriculture knowledge has been acquired from exposure to the export floriculture through sales and supply of plants and involvement in the technical assistance to growers for more than twelve years. She is the hub in the network both within the company and with our business relations. She is a BSc graduate and holds a MBA degree and a Diploma in Systems Management. n

Floriculture Today November 2011 25

The Keukenhof Gardens

The Dutch treat is here!

Setting the pace for Indo-Dutch cooperation in Floriculture The Netherlands or Holland, a country smaller in size than a state in India, has amazed the world with its unprecedented agricultural growth. Think of Holland and what comes to the mind are images of breezy windmills, lovely tulips, fresh cheese and, of course, the Dutch treat. But, there is more to the Dutch than all this – About 22,000 dairy farms, the renowned seed potato sector, and Europe’s largest industrial French fries production capacity.

he Netherlands, sprawled in about 41,500 sq km and accommodating only 16.48 million people (0.267% of world’s population), ranks among the top ten in the world in GDP per capita. Following US and France, the Dutch come third in the world in agricultural export 26 Floriculture Today November 2011

value, earning $55 billion annually. A major chunk of agricultural exports in the Netherlands is obtained from freshcut plants, flowers and bulbs. The country exports two-thirds of the total global exports. Besides, it exports a quarter of all world tomatoes and one-third of the world’s

chillies and cucumbers. The country also exports 1/15 of the world’s apples. More than 60% of global exports in cut flowers and 40% of the international trade in plants run through the Netherlands. The flower industry here brings 25% of the revenue from all Dutch agricultural

Cooperation exports. The Dutch flower industry relies on 21st century logistics resting atop a mastery of horticulture and foreign commerce dating back four centuries. By creating new benchmarks for everything from freshness and environmental quality control, to horticultural science, to supply chain efficiency, the Netherlands has become the sine qua non of a new global flower industry. The development of the Dutch flower cluster is an example of how a country with little sun and even less suitable land can succeed in flower cultivation. Three regions participated in the establishment of the floricultural sector in the Netherlands: the northern and southern parts of Amsterdam, the Rotterdam area, and The Hague. The sector was continuously expanding, and after World War II, demonstrated exceptional growth after the country invested in physical infrastructure such as roads, waterways and rails. The Dutch introduced specific dimensions for bucket size, standards for environmental certification, and many other norms. They revolutionized the industry in general. In the past, cut flowers were grown near market places and now they can be transported from all over the world. Before,

flower cultivation was a seasonal business and now it is a year-round industry. Currently, the Netherlands is the world’s biggest flower exporter, providing 52% of all flora products sold globally, with Colombia (11%) as a distant second, followed by Kenya and Ecuador. Certain norms created by the country (which are now followed worldwide) helped it to maintain its competitive edge in floriculture industry and trade. Dutch Attractions The Keukenhof garden, also called Garden of Europe, is the largest flower garden in the world. It harbours about 7 million flower bulbs. The variety of flowers and the maze of colours one sees here is unmatched anywhere in the world. The Bloemenmarkt is the only floating market in the world. It is located along the Single Canal between Muntplein and Koningsplein. Tulip Heaven In the Netherlands, there is no garden or flower market without tulips. This flower is interwoven in the Dutch culture as well as trade. The country produces over 9 million bulbs annually. The area between

Amsterdam and Rotterdam exports more cut flowers than the rest of the world combined! Tulips originally arrived from Central Asia. The Turks cultivated these flower bulbs long before the Dutch. The first tulip bulbs were planted in the Netherlands at the end of the 16th century. Growers detected a golden future for this plant, which became one of the solid investments. This led to a “tulip craze” characterized by wild speculation. It was after this ‘craze’ that the government intervened. Proper application of factors like research, professional expertise, provision of information and exchange of knowledge has made tulip-growing successful in Netherlands. Presently, the country boasts of flower bulbs with practically every conceivable fragrance, colour and shape. Flower bulbs and flowers have become the trademark of the Netherlands. They are shipped to innumerable destinations across the globe annually. Tulip Production and sales The Netherlands produce an estimated 10 billion flower bulbs a year, which is about 65% of the total world production. Over 75% of these bulbs are exported to

Floriculture Today November 2011 27

Cooperation can be classified into auctions held in the field (“green auctions”) and auctions held in buildings that involved flower bulbs that have already been lifted, dried and graded. By far, most flower bulbs are traded through the ‘intermediaries’, agencies that are usually associated with the flower bulb auctions and who buy the bulbs from the grower and then sell them again. The flower bulbs will then go directly from the producer to the buyer without entering the auction halls. These agencies also take care of the financial settlement of the transactions. Hobaho and CNB (Cooperative Netherlands Bulb Center) are the two foremost flower bulb intermediaries while there are also the Cebeco and independent agents.

Dutch tulips in Kashmir

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad almost changed the face of Srinagar through his innovative project of creating a tulip garden. Today, the Tulip Garden in Srinagar draws an enormous turn-out in April. It is based on the pattern of the renowned Tulip Gardens of the Netherlands. Located in the heart of summer capital of Kashmir, this garden is sprawled over eight hectare along the shores of the famous Dal Lake. The garden blooms fully from April to June, dazzling the spectators with its display of multi-hued tulips – undoubtedly, a feast for the eyes! more than 100 countries with about 50% of the export going to countries outside the European Union. Today, Holland has about 300 active flower bulb exporters. About 25% exporters handle more than 50% of the export activities. Among the exporters too there is an increasing amount of specialization into either the forcing sector or dry sales, and according to the country to which the bulbs are being exported. The interesting thing to note is that many growers sell most of the flower bulbs to the trading companies even before the bulbs are harvested! Sometimes consignments from the harvest of saleable flower bulbs are even sold more than one year in advance! The grower sells his flower bulbs according to quantity or alternatively based on the yield produced from a certain amount of land. In the latter case, it will always be exciting to see how much a piece of land has yielded. In the event of a disappointing harvest, the grower must always warn the buyer in advance. If the harvest is really disappointing, prices will rise. This means that much higher prices will be demanded at the flower bulb auctions to compensate for shortages. In years of extremely good harvests, the opposite occurs. Flower bulbs are commonly sold by means of written contracts drawn up according to a trading agreement established within the flower bulb industry. These regulations provide the conditions under which the growers (united in the KAVB or the Royal Dutch Bulb growers’ Association) and the traders (united in the KBGBB or the Dutch Wholesalers’ Association) do business with each other. Should major problems develop, both parties have the opportunity to submit their differences to the arbitration tribunal for the flower bulb industry. This arbitration tribunal operates completely independently. Flower bulb Intermediaries The flower bulb auctions play an important role in the transactions between growers and trading companies. The flower bulb auctions 28 Floriculture Today November 2011

Two types of markets More than 75% of all the Dutch flower bulbs are exported. The largest markets are the US, Japan, Germany, UK, Italy and France. There are two types of markets for flower bulbs, and this is true both in the Netherlands and in other countries. More than half of all the flower bulbs are used for the production of cut flowers r pot plants; this is the forcing market. The other flower bulbs find their way to gardens owned by individual consumers as well as parks. This is the dry sales market. The Dutch farmers have performed an astounding feat of adapting to the four very different seasons of the country. They have learned to overcome almost any food preservation challenge and succeeded in becoming leaders in food processing. Thus, the IndoDutch collaboration in this field can help the Indian agriculture and allied sectors to adapt these practices. In the words of Minister for Agriculture and Trade of the Netherlands H E Dr. Henk Bleker: “Amongst the European countries, the Netherlands has one of the oldest agriculture trade relations with India. The first relations go back to the 17th century. Trade between India and the Netherlands has always been of significant importance. The Netherlands is the main port for India to Europe. The Netherlands is the second largest exporter of agriculture products worldwide and India is one of the most important partners in this trade. The consumption of convenience food and animal proteins will increase rapidly in India because of the increasing inhabitants and rising economic growth. The awareness of optimizing the agriculture chain becomes more and more important and post harvesting facilities and investments in the cold chain are promoted by the government of India and implemented by the private sector. The Netherlands is a world player in the field of optimizing the agriculture chain, we have in-depth knowledge and experience in optimizing the chains in floriculture, horticulture fruit and vegetable, feed and good ingredients, livestock, meat and dairy industry. We are confident the trade relations between our two countries will be strengthened and new opportunities for trade, investment and cooperation will be realized.” Because of immense possibilities of Indo-Dutch cooperation, Henk van Duijn, Counselor for Agriculture in the Netherlands Embassy in New Delhi has initiated a process of developing a fiveyear strategic plan, which is now in place. The plan’s focus is on five major areas -– green genetics (mainly seeds), floriculture, food processing (especially the potato chain), meat processing and dairy. “Our main aim is to be local and to be a knowledge and trade partner in these five fields.” Says Marijke A. van Drunen Little, Consul General, Consulate of The Kingdom of The Netherlands, Mumbai, “We need to revive the historical ties and increase the intensity of our knowledge about each other. Both countries need to have a ‘getting to know you’ attitude.” n

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Medicinal & Aromatic Plants

Lavender Cultivation to Face Climate Change A Viable Option for Kashmiri Growers

Lavender cultivation offers a viable alternative to Kashmiri farmers facing crop losses from climate change. by Manipadma Jena

azalla Amin’s office on the outskirts of this city, capital of Jammu & Kashmir state, is redolent with the fragrance of lavender wafting up from heaps of the dried flowers in a corner bowl. There is nothing fancy or feminine about the fragrance in her office. In her late forties, Amin, a medical doctor by training, has broken into Kashmir’s male-dominated farming sector. Amin is now leading frustrated farmers out of the conundrum of climatic uncertainties, lost crops, debt and poverty and setting examples in feasible farming alternatives. In the Baramulla, Bandipora and Pulwama districts of the state, farmers who traditionally cultivate maize barely squeeze about 110 dollars out of each hectare annually. With rain, temperature, snow

34 Floriculture Today November 2011

and humidity becoming increasingly unpredictable, these smallholders, deep in debt from repeated crop failures, are selling their land to rapacious developers and abandoning their ancestral profession. “But they need not,” says Amin. She says an answer is lavender shrubs, grown on what is locally called ‘kandi’ (semibarren, rainfed farmlands). “Lavender on one hand can yield Indian rupees 200,000 (4,000 dollars) yearly profit, and has a 20-year lifetime demanding minimal input. It is almost pestfree and cattle have no taste for it,” Amin said. Farmers buy quality saplings, costing about 10 cents each, which Amin - and government and private nurseries - supply. “More than 90 percent of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) used in trade continue to be sourced from the wild and two-thirds of these are harvested

by destructive means,” says a federal government document on national mission on medicinal plants. “The higher reaches of Kashmir’s mountains are a treasure house of valuable medicinal plants and the pastoral Pahari and Gujjar herder communities can easily identify them,” says Amin. “Traders regularly use the services of these herdsmen for illegal and destructive procurement,” says Amin. “Legal cultivation will help avoid such piracy and preserve natural biodiversity.” Amin’s foray into medicinal agriculture is a classic case of entrepreneurship. “Even as a medical professional, I was on the lookout for opportunities that would keep me close to nature.” Eight years back, a write-up on lavender and other medicinal plants took her to the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu. Amin ended up taking a

Medicinal & Aromatic Plants batch of lavender saplings back to her ancestral farm in Bandipora district. “Though not native to Kashmir, lavender just loves this soil and clime,” says Amin. Within a couple of years, the initial halfhectare farm expanded to nine hectares, then into three farms in the districts of Pulwama, Baramulla and Bandipora. She quit her job and moved around the countryside motivating farmers to switch to low-risk, high-value aromatic and medicinal crops as a strategy for climate change adaptation. She cited her own success, inviting farmers to come over and inspect her farms. In 2009, she formed the Jammu & Kashmir MAP Growers’ Cooperative with 30 farmers, now grown to 300 members. All receive planting material and training in cultivation of aromatic plants through this collective, aided by the government. “Best of all, small farmer members are able to market, even export, their products through our cooperative’s one-stop shop and demand fair prices,” says Amin. Abdul Rahman, 50, from Doodh Pathri village, 42 kilometres from Srinagar, who started lavender cultivation on one hectare of farmland in 2010 has this season extended coverage to 2.5 hectares.

Another farmer Ghulam Ahmed Shah, 60, shifted out of rose cultivation as he found it water-demanding and pest-prone; all his three hectares are now under lavender. Collective harvests have been steadily rising since 2009. That year, Amin set up a half-a-million dollar, aromatic oil distillation plant with a grant from the federal government. The unit now gets enough flowers to run through the May – December season. Seeing a potential to rejuvenate the farm sector, a national mission on medicinal plants kick-started in the state in 2009 with a federal allocation of 1.3 million dollars, followed up with an action plan costing 1.5 million dollars in 2010. The mission is being implemented through self-help groups and farmers’ associations like Amin’s. Meanwhile, Amin established marketing linkages within the country and in Britain. Essential oils of lavender, rose and geranium under the brand name ‘Pure Aroma’ are now being marketed by her company, Fasiam Agro Farms. Earlier this year, the state government recognised Gazalla Amin’s contribution to entrepreneurship development in

agriculture through a state award for ‘progressive farmers’. On the difficulties she faced while nurturing her enterprise, she said “there was no precedent for this business model. I quickly learnt through trial and error.” Amin admits that being a woman agroentrepreneur in a male domain “felt a bit difficult in the beginning.” A. S. Shawl, head of the Srinagar branch of IIIM, who pioneered lavender farming in the Srinagar valley some two decades ago, says: “We managed to produce five tonnes of lavender oil (2010), but have a potential to export more than 1,000 tonnes annually.” Amin, who now produces a fifth of Srinagar’s total lavender oil output, is looking for other pastures for herself and the farmers of Kashmir. She is looking carefully at the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, ‘The World Medicine Situation 2011’, which says the global market for traditional medicines was worth 83 billion dollars in 2008. With an annual growth rate of 15 to 25 percent, WHO forecasts that the MAP global market will touch five trillion dollars by 2050. n (Source: IPS)

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Ornamentals

Close up view of flowers of Impatiens psittacina

Parrot Flower A lesser known rare ornamental plant — Atul Batra and B.K.Banerji, Floriculture Section, NBRI, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, (UP)

mpatiens psittacina, is a lesser known and rare ornamental plant belongs to family Balsaminaceae. It is commonly known as the “parrot flower” or “parrot balsam”, however it is closely resembles with cockatoo (multicoloured bigger form of parrot). It is called as parrot flower because its flower bears a resemblance to a parrot in flight when viewed from the side. A balsam, Impatiens psittacina, or parrot flower, is a very rare impatiens species discovered in the Shan States of Upper Burma by A.H. Hildebrand, a British official. The species grows in the wild in a small region of north Thailand (near Chiang Mai), Burma, and in the north-east Indian state of Manipur in a small pockets. Description The plant is erect and branches 40 40 Floriculture Today November 2011

profusely and grows compactly to a height of about 50cm. It has thick green stems. The leaves have a seriate margin. Flower is pedicilate and emerged out from a nodal region. Flower is multicoloured and dominated by light purple and carmine red. The lateral sepals are orbicular and light green. The lower sepal is bulbous and narrows into a hooked spur tipped in carmine. The dorsal petal is orbicular and hooded while the lateral united petals are long. The flowers, resemble with a parrot in flight, are shades of pale lilac, reddish purple and white. Breeding A few nurseries in Europe have been hybridizing these parrot billed Impatiens with other species. They have been using the technique known as embryo rescue

which is useful for crosses which cannot be raised using conventional methods, particularly when hybrid seeds will not germinate successfully. The embryos are extracted just after fertilization and grown on a specific culture media in the laboratory. These breeders have been crossing I. niamniamensis with I. walleriana and also with I. auricoma. Unfortunately, the hybrids raised to date are not considered commercially viable. Growing condition In general, parrot-billed Impatiens is easily cultivated in glasshouse. The plant prefers temperatures between 10°C and 25°C and feels comfortable in this range. The plant also benefit from a spell outside during the summer months. If the temperature is maintained at over 15°C in winter they can flower continuously. Their only drawback is a tendency to drop lower leaves as the plants age. To overcome this, pinching is required when the plant is about 12–14cm high, and then the practice can be adopted at regular intervals thereafter. This will result in a much bushier plant with considerably more attractive flowers. n

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Flower Arrangement

Up Close and Personal with Flowers & Foliages Part - 2

The first part of this article was published in the October 2011 issue. This is the second part.

Dendrobium Cymbidium

Paphiopedilum

ORCHIDS If you really want to count how many types of orchids there are in the world, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d go crazy. Enough for you to know the common orchids which are grown domestically by orchid lovers. They are also commonly used by florists to make flower arrangements. The common types of orchids are the Cattleya, Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum, Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Oncidium and Vanda. 48 Floriculture Today November 2011

Cattleya It is also known as the Corsage Orchid. It comes in multiple colours like white, lavender, red, yellow, orange, green, etc. Their varieties are like Saffron Satin, Fiesta, Lemon Chiffon, Serendipity and Hawaii Peach. Phalaenopsis Also known as the Moth Orchids. They are sprays of flowers with colours like white, yellow, pink, red, green, etc. Varieties are like Ruben (red in

colour), Roman Holiday (light yellow with heavy red spots and pink center), Plantation (white with heavy red spots), Crownfox Superloaf (white) and Leopold (orange with pink center). Paphiopedilums Also known as Lady Slippers. This orchid is very unique in appearance. There is a pouch hanging from the petals and often, they have stripes or spots on them. Varieties include Nike, Krullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Flower Arrangement Leopard, Florida Snow and Amy Book. Oncidiums

Cymbidium This is one of the common orchids, too. Colours are in white, green, yellow, pink, red, etc. Varieties are like 1902 (yellow), Amaranth (dark pink), Apple Tea (light pink), Ballerina (pink) and Cafeteria (red). Dendrobium They are sprays of flowers and the shapes are a variety. Lake View (purple), Hawaii (white and purple), Alba (light and pink) and Mutation (yellow)are some of the varieties. Oncidiums Oncidiums are also known as Dancing Slippers. Some of the varieties are Golden Girl (bright yellow with maroon spots), Red Fantasy (deep red with maroon lip), White Fairy (white with light brown spots) and Sweet Fragrance (deep red with vanilla scent). Vanda This type of flowers is usually flat and

their petals are of the same size. Pacific Paradise is a blue colored Vanda, Pink is a dark pink Vanda and Lavender Thrills is the bright magenta Vanda. Those are the 7 most common or popular orchids that orchid growers love. There are other types of orchids with the most exotic shape and colour.

PEONY The type of peonies used as wedding flowers may vary. Basically any type is suitable. They can be herbaceous, intersectional or the tree type. Why peonies are famous as wedding flowers is because of their bloom. They bloom beautifully, and they can be classified by the type of their bloom, too. They can be Single type bloom, Japanese type, Semi-double, Bomb-type and Full-double type. Their varieties depend on how they bloom. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at some of the examples. Single bloom The single bloom peony is a flower with a few single broad petals in a single row. The row of petals surrounds a group of stamens filled with pollens. Varieties of this type include Sea Shell, Krinkled White and Athena. Japanese bloom For this type, the stamens have broadened and become larger. It is the sign that the doubling process have started.

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Flower Arrangement Bomb type bloom More petals can be seen in the bomb type. Plus, the guard petals can also be seen. Rasberry Sundae and Red Charm are examples of this type.

Beautyberry

Full Double bloom The full double bloom type completes the doubling process. All the stamens become petals and the guard petals can no longer be differentiated. Varieties include Gardenia, Kansas and Tourangelle. Peony Single bloom

Madame Butterfly and Nippon Beauty are examples of this type. Semi Double bloom The semi-double bloom, more petals can be seen produced but the guard petals (initial petals) still can be differentiated. Examples are Coral Charm and Miss America.

BERRIES Berries make wonderful fillers and there are many type of berries available. Their round shape and small size make them perfect to fill up the in-between space in arrangements. Here are the varieties of berries you can use in flower arrangement. St Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wort These are the matured berries of St Jogns Wort plant. Also known as hypericum berries. This is probably the most used type of berries as a cut flower. Available in red, pink, green, burgundy and light yellow.

China Berry The chinaberry is a flowering tree bearing fruit. The fruit or berries are light yellow. They are not clustered together and grown on a single branch for each berry. Beautyberry There are various types of beautyberry like the American beautyberry, Chinese beautyberry and the Japanese beautyberry. Also known as callicarpa, these berries are grouped together. The purple beautyberry is named as Early Amethyst. Seeded Eucalyptus Seeded eucalyptus are the immature flower pods that appear among the leaves of the eucalyptus. Common colors are green, white and light yellow. Snowberry Snowberries are grown in clusters of 5 to 10 in a group. Its color ranges from

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Flower Arrangement Winterberry

Waxberry

Snowberry

white, pink to red. They are very decorative in arrangements as well as bouquets. Species include Mexican Snowberry, Creeping Snowberry, Mountain Snowberry and Roundleaf Snowberry. Winterberry American winterberry or Ilex, are very popular in winter, especially the Christmas season. These are the Holly berries. Its bright red color is its main attraction. Varieties include Oosterwijk, Cacapon, Red Sprite, Sparkle Berry, Berry Heavy, Winter Gold and Winter Red.

Juniper Berries Juniper berries are dark purple colored berries, that come from the juniper shrub. The young ones are green in color. Waxberry These berries are commonly used to make candles, because of its waxy surface. That is also why it is sometimes called Candleberry. They are often red, purple and burgundy in color. Brunia Brunia is one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s native flower. It is grown on a single branch for each berry, and they are grouped together from a tall straight stem. The size of the berry is quite big, but nonetheless can be used in any type of arrangement. Rose Hips Rose hips, also known as rose haw, are the fruit of the rose plant. Commonly, they are red or orange in colour, but they also

Pepperberry

come in dark purple or black. Although, it has been known that these berries have great health advantages, it is great as a cut flower, too. Privet Berry The most common privet berries used are the black or dark purple type. But they are also available in green and white. Pepperberry These are berries from the Schinus tree. It has a slight peppery fragrance and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why it is called as that. Available in 2 forms-- the hanging type and the upright type. ... to be continued

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Trade Fair

Horti Fair grows further T

he Horti Fair is as good as sold out. The trade show has only two unoccupied locations left with several weeks still to go to the opening on 1 November. The number of exhibitors is 585 at present: a growth of almost 10% compared with last year. The Horti Fair is the greatest international horticultural trade show for technology, innovation and inspiration and the 2011 edition is taking place in the Amsterdam RAI from 1 to 4 November inclusive. This year the Horti Fair has embarked on a new course: ‘from square metres to cubic metres’. The result is that the event has more content this year - in the form of seminars for example, that can be attended free of charge. There are several dozen of these and some are already sold out.

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In addition, the Horti Fair has been enlarged to include Horti Fair Fresh (in hall 8), which is where visitors will find sector organization Frugi Venta, a number of major growers associations and packers. What is more, Horti Fair Fresh is organizing the Cooking Event in the House of Technology & Innovation on Wednesday 2 November, the day on which the Food Safety seminar is also taking place. Dechering: “This year is the first edition of Horti Fair Fresh. We were uncertain about how the market would react, but we can say that a good foundation has been laid for the future.” Companies that want to book one of the last two locations can contact us via info@hortifair.nl or 0297-344033.

Trade Fair

Plenty of innovation during FloraHolland Trade Fair Aalsmeer

he FloraHolland flower auction will be holding the FloraHolland Trade Fair Aalsmeer from Wednesday 2 through Friday 4 November. Members of the international floriculture industry will be gathering at this international trade fair, with its 650 growers’ stands. Exporters, wholesalers and their domestic and international customers will come to be inspired by the comprehensive range of flowers, plants, product concepts, trend presentations and new products on display. Inspiration at the Trends & Concepts Plaza Once again, the Trends & Concepts Plaza at the FloraHolland Trade Fair Aalsmeer guarantees an abundance of inspiration. Everything from high-profile new developments to practical and commercial adaptations for the various market segments will be there and will be linked to three current trends. The first trend is Vital and is centered on health. In this trend, subjects such as exercise, vitamins, corporate social responsibility and the health benefits of certain plants are brought to the fore. The Vogue trend focuses on intense romance and the many things you can do with the current, extensive assortment of flowers and plants. The third trend is Voyage. This trend covers the growing interest in the West for Eastern culture. During the FloraHolland Trade Fair Aalsmeer, practical applications for each of these trends will be presented

About FloraHolland through flowers and plants at the Trends & Concepts Plaza. The New Products Plaza, where the newest cut flowers, and house and garden plants can be found, will also be at the trade fair. Innovation at the Vision pavilion Once again this year, there will be a pavilion set up where innovative possibilities for the consumer market will be on display. It will bear the name ‘Vision’ and will be the place to see presentations on the topics of marketing, augmented reality and social media. Vision will be located at the main entrance to the trade fair. Trade Fair app The FloraHolland Trade Fair app is a new digital product. It is a free mobile application that offers support to both visitors and standholders during the fair and includes an overview of all important trade fair information to help visitors prepare for their visit to the fair. Standholders will be quick and easy to find, thanks to the app’s interactive map, and users will have the latest trade fair news at their fingertips. The FloraHolland Trade Fair app will be available from both the App Store and the Android Market for all iPhone and Android mobile phones in the week preceding the trade fair. Opening times The Trade Fair Aalsmeer will be open on Wednesday 2 November from 9:00am to 7:00pm; on Thursday 3 November

The cooperative flower auction FloraHolland offers growers and customers a network of six national and international marketplaces (Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk, Rijnsburg, Bleiswijk, Eelde, and Veiling Rhein-Maas), a national intermediary organization (FloraHolland Connect) and an internationally active Import department. Veiling RheinMaas (Herongen, Germany) is a joint venture between FloraHolland and Landgard. FloraHolland, the world’s largest auction organization, handles over 12 billion flowers and plants a year. Annual sales exceed €4.1 billion. About 4,200 employees work for FloraHolland. from 9:00am to 5:00pm; and on Friday 4 November from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Entry is free for trade professionals. International Horti Week The FloraHolland Trade Fair falls during International Horti Week — a week jointly organized by FloraHolland, the Horti Fair and the IFTF to reinforce the standing of the horticulture industry nationally and internationally. Trade fair visitors from home and abroad will thus be able to visit three fairs in the same week, giving them a comprehensive overview of the state of international horticulture and developments in production, sales, Technology & Transport, and services. n For more information regarding the FloraHolland Trade Fair in Aalsmeer, please visit www.floraholland.com. Floriculture Today November 2011 53

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