l Floriculture Today February 2017
February 2017
Floriculture Today l
l Floriculture Today February 2017
February 2017
Floriculture Today l
Contents
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Indian Floriculture Goes Past Another Milestone
Editorial
v Industry View 12 Over 70% growers are adopting hi-tech cultivation...Indian Scenario is very promising … Manish Jain, MD, KF Bioplants 16 Open House Days 18 “In Ten Years India Will be an Established Market” ... Says Perry Dekkers
v 38
Gardening Industry Going Green and Nurturing Plants Necessary for Clean Environment — Dinesh Rawat, Green Mall, Kolkata
v New Technology 42 Stockosorb Is Ecofriendly ... Helps Creating Constant Moisture Condition In The Plant’s Root Zone — Michael Terhart v Interview 46 Montiplanta: From Portugal to the World at IPM Fair
20 India is one Our Focus Areas ... Says Poul Graff, CEO, Graff Breeding
v Nursery Industry 48 KSG Farms: Rose Breeder of India
34 Indian industry should respect Plant Breeders’ Rights ... asserts Sangram Jagtap, CEO, Tukai Exotics
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Plant Protection Greenvision for Effective Pest Management in High-tech Agriculture – Milind Apte
v 56
Landscape Glory and Grace of Flowering Trees — Alka Singh, B N Patel, Ankit Bhandari, Dipal Bhatt and Shivam Bhatt
36 Aiming to create the world’s most sophisticated facility in tissue culture production ... Bhagyashree Patil v 22
Event Report IPM ESSEN is the Most Beautiful Trade Fair in the World by M B Naqvi
70 Oassis Floral Utsav — Krithika Nag
l Floriculture Today February 2017
v Indoor Greening 66 Create Heaven in Balcony 72 News
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Floriculture Today l
www.floriculturetoday.in
Chief Editor: S Jafar Naqvi Consulting Editor T.V. Satyanarayanan Sub-Editor Rummana Zaidi Chief Coordinator: M.B. Naqvi Editorial Coordinator: Syed M K
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Editorial T
he stage is set for the grand opening of the most prestigious floral extravaganza – 12 International Flora Expo – in Pune that prides itself as an important floriculture production hub in India. Complementing this expo, and thereby giving greater relevance to it, will be two other attractions –one focusing on Landscape and Gardening and another on Horticulture. (11th International Landscape and Gardening Expo and 5 th International Horti Expo). Much has happened on the development front of India’s floriculture sector, since the first in the series of International Flora Expo began its journey from Bangalore 12 years ago. The event was a resounding success and its participants hailed it as one which marked India having reached the ‘take off’ stage in commercial floriculture. Hi-tech commercial floriculture, with an eye on export, took its birth in this country in early nineties and the first export-oriented floriculture project came up in 1991 in Maval Taluka in Pune. The road ahead was far from smooth. Out of 500 export-oriented units that were registered, only one-fifth of them could survive. Subsequently, many things have contributed to the growth of this sector -- its official recognition as a ‘sunrise industry’, according of 100 per cent export-oriented status to the floriculture projects, research support, adaptation of foreign technology and know-how to suit Indian conditions, and, equally important, the hard work put in by the floriculture professionals who were managing the projects. Consequently, commercial floriculture has become a hi-tech activity under controlled climatic conditions in green houses. The strides made by the floriculture sector would be evident from the latest available statistics – India produced over 2 million tonnes loose flowers and 472,000 tonnes of cut flowers of high quality in 2015-16. The country exported during the year, a total of 22,578. 58 tonnes of floriculture products worth 479.42 crore, the major export destinations being USA, Germany, UK, the Netherlands and UAE. Interestingly, if we take into account the total production of flowers – loose and cut flowers -- India would rank second in the world, next only to China. Flower consumption in this country is growing at a fabulous rate of 30 per cent per annum. The demand is going up for the entire range of flowers and floral products that include floral carpets, floral jewelry and many other tastefully done floral creations, besides traditional items like bouquets and garlands. The area under flowers is going up because the growers find that these crops, like other horticulture crops, secure for them better returns per unit area. With floriculture taking strong roots, allied and supplementary industries and activities are also growing. Nursery business is booming and, alongside, ornamental pot plant industry, encompassing seasonal flowering plants, perennial flowering plants and foliage plants, is flourishing. With rapid urbanization, landscaping is becoming more important, as also gardening., Units making garden machinery and tools, greenhouse accessories and irrigation equipment have got a big boost. In the overall growth of this sector, the contribution of Flora Expo, the annual event being organized by Media Today Group, cannot be underestimated. The expo brings under one roof all stakeholders from various parts of the world, providing a common platform for them for wider exposure, interaction and exchange of ideas that open up new opportunities for growth. While the overall growth picture of Indian floriculture looks impressive, one aspect that needs to be given higher priority to take this sector to greater heights is creation of hi-tech market infrastructure in all the major growing areas. Motorable roads from the farms to the market, greater availability of reefer vans and smooth movement across state borders are all important. Comments are welcome at: editorialmtpl@gmail.com
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
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Industry View
Indian floriculture goes past another milestone Indian floriculture industry has reached another landmark –it is celebrating the Silver Jubilee of its glorious onward journey. The 12th edition of International Flora Expo series is proud and happy to host these celebrations on February 24 in Pune. Joining in these celebrations is Floriculture Today, which felt it would be a good idea to publish on this occasion the valuable views of some leading professionals in this field. Chief Editor S Jafar Naqvi, therefore, had question-answer sessions with some of the major industry players on their experiences and the ideas on how to go about to build this sector further.
Over 70% growers are adopting hi-tech cultivation...Indian Scenario is very promising … Manish Jain, MD, KF Bioplants Kumar Properties has been a major real estate company. However twenty five years ago, you entered the floriculture industry. What was it that acted as the trigger and led you to venture into this industry, which at that time was just beginning to develop? Agriculture and horticulture had been an area of interest since a long time. So when the need for diversification arose, we planned to enter this sector with technological advances in order to move away from the traditional farming practices. In the 90’s, agriculture was a sunrise industry with great potential. While doing the survey on needs of the industry; we found that quality planting material and innovations in existing crop genetics were lacking. Thus, we zeroed down on the activity of Plant tissue culture after studying and interacting with scientists locally and globally.
the major challenges that you had to overcome and did you face problems like manpower sourcing, logistics, government approvals, quarantine issues, and partnering with global industry leaders? Since we were pioneering in plant tissue culture; there were plenty of hurdles! It was very important that we had appropriate and world class equipments, availability of technocrats and skilled manpower to carry out the different activities that involved plant tissue culture. There were also other problems with imports of innovative genetics from around the globe, logistics support in perishables, etc. However; we had fantastic clarity about our business model and objectives, so we overcame these issues with our expertise in business and networking with various government bureaucrats.
Since you stepped into the floriculture sector when it was just beginning to develop as an industry, what were
In terms of the initial stages of the company, when was it that KF Bioplants emerged as a leading stakeholder of the
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floriculture industry and what was it that acted as the turning point in your twenty five years’ journey? Holland is the country of flowers and my intensive training in Holland gave me a strong foundation to build upon for the next 25 years in this industry. Our joint venture with Florist Holland (Florist De Kwakel then) in 1997 was a turning point which gave us an international platform. It helped us immensely to prove our determination to supply quality plants and show our commitment to growers through timely technical support. In supply of plants in India and other countries; we have established a benchmark with our quality, commitment and excellent communication. At the same time, we managed to develop a market size for an Indian company which was never done before! At the initial stage you had tied up with the Florist and were known as Kumar Florists and today you are India’s leader in the floriculture sector. Could you
Industry View
please share the consolidation of your principals and its positive impact on KF Bioplants? As Florist Holland was a joint venture partner; we were supplied with a steady stream of latest technical expertise from various parts of the world on different species. This helped us to be always updated with different aspects of the business such as quality infrastructure, establishment of protocols, market exploration, and production contracts for reputed companies around the world! Besides Florist Holland B.V., Holland, KF Bioplants also has collaboration with Hilverda Kooij Plant Technology B.V., Holland for propagation and marketing of Carnation India. The company is associated with numerous Dutch plant breeders and laboratories like Floricultura B.V. for Phalaenopsis plants, Kapiteyn B.V. for Calla Lily plants, World Breeding B.V. for Lily, Darwin Plants for perennials species, Royal van Zanten B.V. for Limonium, Biancheri Creations for Rananculus from Italy and has collaboration with Danziger ‘Dan’ Flower Farm, Israel for Gypsophila As you have been a part of the twenty five years of commercial floriculture, you have been witness to and been through the different phases of the sector. In your opinion, what is the current status of the industry? Furthermore, what are some of the shortcomings or challenges that the industry still needs to overcome? Over two decades we are in business of supplying quality plants along with the most updated and professional technical support in the industry. Unfortunately; the market size of flower consumption (except wedding season) has not expanded with the economic growth and population
Holland is the country of flowers and my intensive training in Holland gave me a strong foundation to build upon for the next 25 years in this industry. Our joint venture with Florist Holland (Florist De Kwakel then) in 1997 was a turning point which gave us an international platform. of the country. There has to be thrust to create awareness among the population to consume fresh flowers, pot plants, bouquets etc on daily basis. Though this kind of persuasive marketing is missing; we are quite optimistic that next decade will see expansion in these segments too! We are quite happy that our growers have been taking up floriculture and horticulture projects as professional business activities and do not rely extensively on subsidies. This will certainly make sure that the industry develops its own shock absorption system when there are issues with subsidies, financial support, bank loans etc. Today, the most challenging thing is the import of new species and their
varieties. Our quarantine policy should be well regulated and yet conducive to business to make sure that we can offer a large basket of products to our growers in flowers, fruits n vegetables. In terms of adopting newer varieties or technologies, do you think the Indian farmers are at par with their global counterparts? Our experience shows that Indian growers are very much interested in trying out new innovations. They want to stay abreast of global changes. This has been possible due to revolution in aviation and travel sector. Now, growers visit Europe, Israel, US, Africa, China etc. and armed with knowledge they are driving the industry towards innovations. This will boost our industry in the future! Over 70% growers are adopting hitech cultivation practices like substrate growing, automated fertigation program, climate control, mechanized post harvest technology etc. This scenario is very promising! A striking feature is that our growers are also experimenting with biological control over diseases and pests and want to explore the organic way of cultivation to contribute their share in environment friendly practices! KF Bioplants today is the largest exporter of tissue culture plants from India. Could you please share the global reach of
Gerbera
Carnation
Limonium
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia) Phalaenopsis & Dendrobium (Orchid)
Lily
Gypsophila
Ranunculus
Rose
Pot Plants of Ornamental Flowering Species n perennial species
Strawberry
Vegetable Seeds & Seedlings
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Industry View your company vis-à-vis your principals’ global network? KF Bioplants offers plants in-vitro or hardened young plants of the following commercially successful crops: KF Bioplants produces 60 million plants per annum, of which 55% plants are exported to over 30 countries around the world, mainly Holland, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Nepal and U.S.A.
Over 70% growers are adopting hi-tech cultivation practices like substrate growing, automated fertigation program, climate control, mechanized post harvest technology etc. This scenario is very promising!
Ninety percent of the domestic floriculture market is provided with quality planting material by the company. Florist Holland has a lion’s share in world Gerbera market and their reach covers every continent on the globe! KF Bioplants has carved a noteworthy niche in the global floriculture industry. Being the Managing Director of the company, could you please share your evaluation of the current global scenario of the floriculture industry? The global floriculture industry has seen many changes. A few years ago; the industry was polarized between European and South American countries. However; increasing labor and energy costs have been the two driving forces which have banished this polarization and helped the industry to spread to Asian and African countries. Yet, the hub of marketing and logistic development continues to be in Europe and South America. The low economy of certain countries has created good opportunities for Indian growers. We need to make sure that we stick to excellent quality, timely deliveries and prompt communication along with excellent perishable logistic support. These will be the key words to success! As per our information, you are now venturing into vegetables seeds and opting for other portfolios too. Could you please share your vision and what all offerings would be there from KF Bioplants in the coming future? Seeing the growth in population and phenomenal awareness about dietary concepts among modern people; we sensed the need to be in vegetable and field crop sector. With 25 years of experience and expertise in horticulture of India backed by a large farmer’s base; we studied the existing companies around the country and the globe. This study enabled us to decide on vegetable species for the Indian market and to identify improvements in the genetics so that our breeding program will be successful. We are focused on developing the genetics with better yield, drought tolerance, diseases and pest resistance, quality enhancement in final produce and nutrient aspects of the produce.
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Industry View
Open House Days
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n continuation of KF’s tradition of organizing it’s “open house days”; this year’s event was a grand function with massive response from the growers from Maharashtra, Gujarat, AP, MP, Karnataka and North India. Colored Gypsophila flowers n new vibrant colors/ varieties of Gerbera n Carnation was the centre of attraction. KF takes an opportunity with this event to create sensation amongst the growers for new varieties n colors! The event saw many prime visitors like government policy makers n bureaucrats of agriculture n horticulture state government officials, our input suppliers and prime clientele. Over 1500 growers
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visited the show n applauded it’s beauty n professional arrangements. Our international partners Marcel Stekelenburg (HK), Lennaert Kapiteyn (Kapiteyn; Holland) and Ziad Allen (Rosen Tantau International) participated during open house days to interact with
visiting farmers. They well appreciated the event! We appreciate sincere efforts of Mr. Manish, Shravan, Ajit, Sharad and their colleagues. Congratulations on outing such an outstanding show!
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Industry View
“In ten years India will be an established market” ... Says Perry Dekkers
At the recently concluded IPM Essen 2017, Floriculture Today’s team had the opportunity to interact with Perry Dekkers, Commercial Director, Dümmen Orange. The company represents a legacy of floriculture excellence for more than a century in making and providing the largest selection of superior flowers and plants on earth. By uniting the world’s top breeders under one distinctive brand, Dümmen Orange blends traditional techniques and emerging technologies. Globally accessible and locally embedded, it continues to be at the forefront of the industry while bringing stability and opportunities to its partners and associates worldwide. Excerpts from the interaction:
Dümmen Orange has divided its commercial operations according to regions and you are responsible for Latin America and Asia Pacific. How does this division of operations help in collaborating with the local players of the sector? In Dümmen Orange, I am responsible for all the commercial operations in Latin America and Asia Pacific, which means all our operators as well as our local partners like agents and distributors come under my aegis. I have been working for Dümmen Orange for the last two and a half years now, and have been in this sector for many years. Our company operates across many locations and is one of the most respected ones in the whole world. From the sales perspective, we have divided our operations into regions to make it more organized and locally embedded; splitting
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the responsibilities area-wise really helps us to collaborate with local operators and partners, for instance Rise n Shine in India, because they know the people; they have knowledge of the market; the country and the climate; and this makes it easy for us to do business. Dümmen Orange is now one of the biggest breeders and propagators of cut flowers. What are some of the targets that you have set for yourself in the coming future? We are a breeder, propagator of cut flowers, pot plants, bedding plants and perennials. We are one of the biggest in the world in vegetative breeding as well. What we really aim for is to be the best breeder and propagator in the world; with being the best also comes being the biggest. Being the best means investing in
a lot of activities, especially R&D which is one of the key strategic points. R&D helps in not just expanding and increasing our business, but also contributes to actively developing the footprint of each flower variety and plants cuttings. What we do is that we deliver the cuttings to our growers, who then grow the finished products, which is sold to the wholesalers, retailers (locally and internationally), and also to exports markets. The demand for flowers in India is increasing, as you operate in India through Rise n Shine, we would like to have your views on the Indian market. India, China and e.g. Latin America are emerging markets. I am responsible for the emerging markets. The problem with India is that there is no provision to safeguard breeders’ rights. We work
Industry View together with Rise n’ Shine and have been developing the market for many years for carnation, gerbera and many other products. The biggest challenge in such regions is to develop the markets with more technical support. We are slowly developing it into a more mature market. The middle class is rising in India and therefore we need to invest a lot over there as we see great potential for growth. Investing in emerging markets like India is one of our other focus points. We don’t want to flood the market with many varieties, but we rather want to build it up steadily. That’s the holistic approach that we are following and have adopted for India. Given the fact that the Indian middle class is growing and so is the demand for flowers. Therefore, what varieties are you promoting in India? Furthermore, do you plan to launch new varieties in India because the market is responding very well? Together with Rise n’ Shine we are focusing on cut flowers and we also have another distributive partner, Tukai Exotics, which focuses on pot plants. The main crops at the moment are carnations and gerbera; they are really big crops in India. Our relationship with Rise n Shine has also supplied us with material not just for India, but also for selling in rest of the world. We outsource many products to them and they help us in delivering quality products. We want to work with stable partners, who know the market and know the demands of the market, and with them we want to introduce the variety portfolio, step by step. As I said earlier, we don’t believe in flooding the market with varieties, all at once. We want to have good quality, good perception of our varieties, and then good profits for our partners. Of course, we will introduce many new varieties, but we will do it gradually. This is precisely why we have been investing in our innovation portfolio. For this we use the concept of PMCs- Product Market Combinations. This helps us to develop the right product for a specific market; we have to evaluate the demands very wisely.
As you just highlighted that the local partners play a crucial role in determining the success of an international brand in their region. Are you satisfied with your partners in India? At the moment we are very much satisfied with our partners in India. In case of Rise n Shine, we have been together for many years. Earlier we were working as Terra Nigra. We have breeding companies within our organization that have existed for more than hundred years. Dümmen Orange as a brand name has been a recent development and we are working on strengthening it further, but we are mainly building up through our existing heritage. Branding and promotion are a major factor that helps in establishing brands and increasing their visibility. What strategy have you adopted for promoting Dümmen Orange worldwide? We basically have a two pronged approach towards branding and promotion, which helps in protecting our rights as well as ensures profits for our local partners. First, the promotion of Dümmen Orange as a quality breeder and propagator in the world; a company
that stands as the hallmark of quality and helps our local partners to assure their clients of the best quality by using our brand name. Second, our labels –the brand names of our varieties –which apart from safeguarding our rights also help to increase the visibility of our products and enhance knowledge and awareness about them. Apart from these, we also provide technical support through training sessions. What we want is to give the best to our customers. As a representative of world’s biggest breeder and propagator, Dümmen Orange, in your opinion what will be some of the major changes that will come about in India ten years down the line? As I said, India is an emerging market; it is growing because of the amount of inhabitants and the per capita expenditures are also growing. We hope that India will have better breeders’ rights and begin to respect UPOV. This will help to make the market more professional and will of course contribute to the all-round growth. So, hopefully ten years down the line India will be an established market n and not just an emerging one.
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Industry View
India is one of our focus areas ... Says Poul Graff CEO, Graff Breeding
Graff Breeding A/S dates back its roots to 1930, when Poul Graff’s grandfather started the company. For almost nine decades the company’s main breeding vision has been to promote quality products by focusing on the end-consumers. The approach market approach is defined through partnerships with highly skilled nurseries and professional outlets worldwide. The main aim of Graff Breeding has been to bring novelties to the market that have the capability to fulfill the expectations of the modern consumers. In a recent interaction with Floriculture Today’s team at IPM Essen 2017, Erik & Poul Graff shared his unique approach and ideas about HibisQs; views about the Indian market; their partnership with Tukai Exotics; and much more. Excerpts: You are one of the leading players in hibiscus production. What is the overall scenario of hibiscus in the world market and over the years, what have been some of the major changes that have come about in this area? For many generations, hibiscus has been a traditional ornamental flower worldwide. Through our unique breeding work we have been able to create compact, eye-catching, strong coloured HibisQs that perform very well throughout their journey from the nursery to the end-consumer. By focusing on the end-consumer we have been able to change the approach towards hibiscus within the last ten years. I think we have proved that in Europe, and now also in countries like India. What we see now is that within a very short span of time HibisQs has performed so differently in the market compared to the traditional approach towards it. It’s a kind of a fairy tale, where we have taken a traditional plant and through hard work, breeding, passion, we have been able to change that product from a regular commodity into
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Erik and Poul Graff with Sangram Jagtap during IPM
something unique that gives a long and joyful pleasure to the end-consumer. You have been working with Tukai Exotics in India. So, what is your
perception of India as a market for your products? I think that India is changing rapidly, not just in terms of production, but even
Industry View many other positive aspects like coming up of garden centres and for us India is a very-very interesting market. We think that the growing middle-class enjoys flowers. When you travel, you can see in the apartments’ balconies that people like to have plants; India is a flowers and plants loving country. We have big expectations from India. If we talk about the country in terms of structure and in terms of protecting breeders’ rights, then that’s a situation which is a little difficult to understand. However, our general perception, as breeders today, is that leading companies in India have respect for and cooperate with the breeding companies worldwide that trying to perform their best in India and from them we [as breeders] get our due respect in India. India has the appropriate climatic conditions to be made into a production centre. Do you have plans of establishing a production centre in India that can cater to the needs of her neighbouring countries too? Actually, what we have done is that we have consolidated our production in three major centres. So, no matter in which part of the world you are, you get your supply through these three major centres, which are Vietnam, one in Africa, and the third in Miami. Now we are building up a really strong production unit in India and we are really hoping that this production unit will help in not only supplying for India, but will also help in supplying to some other countries that we are not currently doing business with. We can use the experience that Tukai is providing and India can be a hub for us for catering to a certain part of the world. Plants Breeders’ Rights and its related aspects like royalty is a major issue for foreign propagators planning to enter India. In your opinion, how will India evolve in this regard? What I am saying is that India is moving rapidly in terms of business and I think that is fantastic. Recently, I went to China and there the leading companies in the nursery business are state-owned, which means that there are sometimes political reasons involved behind growing plants. In China you see a divided
I think that India is changing rapidly, not just in terms of production, but even many other positive aspects like coming up of garden centres and for us India is a very-very interesting market industry, half is private owned (and they have to fight to survive) and half is run by the government. This division makes it very difficult for Europeans to analyze and comprehend that what exactly is going on. However, you can compare India and China in the sense that the change is extremely fast paced. In India there were thousands and thousands of small nurseries and now you see that some nurseries have grown very big and are specialized in certain crops; you see in China too there are some who are making huge investments and have specialized in some crops. Similarly in India, some of the leading growers have been making good money and therefore you see that they are undertaking large scale expansion plans. In China, which is run one hundred per cent by the government, I think you will see major change in breeders’ rights. In India, which is a democracy, decisions
take time. Therefore, it will be slower. In India, I feel, you will see that the nurseries that have collaborated with leading global breeders will grow tremendously, but if you continue using old genetics you will continue to have many problems. Local partners are very important for establishing one’s name in a country like India. Are you satisfied with your collaboration with Tukai Exotics? Yes, we are. We started talking with Tukai many years ago. Actually, made a plan for the execution of our ideas; but we from our side were really worried because everyone said that India was a difficult place to work as a breeder and it was difficult to get the cooperation from any of the local players. We made a plan four-five years ago and then started implementing it. When I met Sangram Jagtap for the first time, there were a lot of nurseries that were making it illegally, but we stayed with our plan. Though there are many nurseries who do not respect it [plants breeders’ rights], still we have stayed true to our plan and I think we have managed to bring about many changes. I am very happy. . . And India is for sure one of our focus areas. The partnership structure that we follow is that we have partners in different countries and they come together once in a while and we discuss the issues and challenges, and exchange ideas. This is access to knowledge and helps in promoting best practices. n
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IPM ESSEN is the Most Beautiful Trade Fair in the World The World’s Leading Trade Fair for Horticulture: Confirmed Impressively by M B Naqvi
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PM DUBAI is among the most distinguished Trade Show in the Gulf region and the Middle East’s ruling trade fair for Horticultural industry. IPM DUBAI continued its triumph at DUBAI World Trade Centre. Showcasing at IPM DUBAI 2017 brought buyers, experts and managerial persons vis-à-vis from across the Middle East, one of the fastest growing markets in the world within the horticultural, flowers and plants industry. The IPM marketing campaigns targeted the industry professionals from across the region and world wide, offering peerless opportunities to grow existing business and generate neoteric business for the organization. Fast growth and stiff competition challenged the exporters, importers, retailers and growers offering a great
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chance for products and solutions. Many countries participated in the exhibition including China, Germany, Sri Lanka and the USA, and India who were involved for the first time. From India, Coir Board participated in the IPM Essen, 2017, Germany held during 24-27 January, 2017. The primary objective of the participation was to project the capabilities of Indian coir sector before the global Horticultural community. Coir Board India participating IPM ESSEN 2017, Germany together with exporters from India. Everybody in the Indian Pavilion were satisfied by taking part in it. It had a strategic location, attracting many trade visitors from over the region. Nearly 50 or more Flower Growers and Nurserymen visited the show and discussed the export-import delegations of trade, inclusive of the Indian
Companies - M/s. Ashjith Agri Products, M/s. Aswani Agrotech, M/s. Coconut Product Impex, Coir Board Coir House (Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India), M/s. Coir-On Foam Products, M/s. Delta Coir, M/s. Evergreen Coirs, M/s. Fair Trade India, M/s. Fibre Family, M/s. Ganapathy coco peat, Harish Coconut Products Pvt. Ltd., Kamarhatty Company Limited 8th Floor, M/s. Kumaran Fibres, M/s. Sun Bio Systems, Madappatt Exports, M/s. Mayur Greentech, M/s. Meadow, M/s. Neelaveni Coir Products, Premier Coir Products, M/s. Rajahrani Impex Private Limited, Renuga Global Exports, M/s. S R Coir, M/s. Shanmugam Co Coirs, M/ s. Shree Coirs, Shri Ambica Polymer Pvt. Ltd., M/s. Shri Ganapathy Fibres, Sivanthi Joe Substrates P Ltd., Sri Ragavendra Coir Factoy, M/s. Suga Coco Products (P) Ltd., M/s. Thuran Coir Mills, UKV Agro Farms,
Event Report
M/s. Viva Agtech Products. This trade show brought together professions and industry experts to share valuable experienced knowledge and innovative ideas to make this sector advanced in the global market. The International Plant Trade Fair in Essen (IPM) has anewly proven that it is an indispensable inspiration, communication and ordering platform for the global green sector. As the top speaker, the digital expert Sascha Lobo talked about the subject of digitization in the green sector. Over 57,000 trade visitors from all over the world travelled to Messe Essen from January 24 to 27 to gobble up information about the newest plant breeds, innovative horticultural technology, floristry trends as well as sales-promoting products for the point of sale from 1,577 exhibitors
across 45 nations and to order goods for the coming season. The Dutch put in a strong appearance at the trade fair. Our neighbour was the proud partner country of the 35th edition of the world’s leading trade fair for horticulture. “Four very successful days at the trade fair are trailing us. IPM ESSEN was able to prove that it is a crucial meeting point for the entire international green sector. Trendsetting stimuli emanate from the world’s leading trade fair for horticulture. Both quantitatively and qualitatively, we are looking back on an all-round successful event,” according to Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen. More than a third placed orders directly at the trade fair. Around 90 percent rated the range on offer as positive while, 93 percent of the visitors recommend a visit to IPM ESSEN
- a top value. There was an increase in the number of Dutch visitors (plus three percent). Good upshot of year’s partner country cooperation. IPM ESSEN was totally represented by Germany´s neighbouring country. The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands opened the IPM ESSEN opening ceremony in an enticing way. An Eye on New Target Groups Plants are dominating the living spaces with the growing fad of Gardening in the city. “Urban Jungle” and “Grow Your Own” were the major subjects at IPM ESSEN 2017. Herbs as well as fruit and vegetable nibbles were very popular. In 2017, they are not being planted individually rather in combination with flowering ornamental plants. The trade fair focused
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on house plants in particular, making a comeback at present. They are easycare and are going down well especially with the young target group. The simple handling is playing a major role amongst the final consumers: No matter whether planting bowls with built-in irrigation systems, extremely long-living cut flowers or undemanding shrubs - the exhibitors presented ingenious solutions. Moreover, a lot of new products were introduced amongst the bedding and balcony plants. Delicate pink to violet tones (possibly united in one flower) will dominate the coming garden season. “IPM ESSEN has yet again lived up to its reputation as the world’s leading trade fair for horticulture and an important place for meetings for networking purposes. Precisely in times of increasing competitive pressure in our sector, it is important to have fresh and innovative ideas. IPM offers the ideal platform in order to let yourself be inspired,” according to Jürgen Mertz, President of the Central Horticultural Association (ZVG). First-Class Supporting Programme: Sascha Lobo IPM ESSEN once more offered a particular value, added for trade visitors from all fields due to its extensive supporting programme. Experts imparted their knowledge in numerous conferences. In the new future congress entitled “Horticulture and Landscaping Outlooks” staged by the North Rhine-Westphalia Association for Horticulture, Landscaping and Sports Field Construction, the blogger, author and strategy consultant Sascha Lobo revealed how horticulture can get profit from the mega subjects of digitisation, quoting : “Don’t avoid digitisation or hope that it’s minimal - help to shape it!“ This year, the
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International Horticulture Forum staged by the Representation of interests of the German horticulture industry (INDEGA) focused on Netherlands as the partner country. The participants spoke about new market segments in the GermanDutch trade relations. At the lecture event staged by “The Green City” foundation and the Federation of German Nurseries, nursery gardeners, landscape gardeners and managers from local authorities retrieved information about the subject of “New Diseases and Pests: Consequences for the Green Sector”. The trade visitors appreciated the presentations closed to practice. Numerous designing ideas for the POS, appealing shop situations and marketing concepts were shown in the g&v Creative Centre, including “Floral Enjoyment Worlds” - those with goji berries or edible pelargoniums. The presentation was made by Bloom’s bore with the motto of “Floral Living”. Innovation Showcase with Special Prize For the tenth time, Messe Essen and the Central Horticultural Association (ZVG) honoured the best plant innovations: The Pelargonium zonale ‘Brocade Fire Night’ presented by Dümmen Orange from Rheinberg was stated as the “IPM Innovation 2017” in the “Bedding and Balcony Plant” category. The Mandevilla sanderi (Hemsl.) Woodson ‘Mini Scarlet’ achieved the title in the “Tub Plants” category. The Hibiscus rosa sinensis ‘Petit™Orange’ presented by Graff Breeding from Denmark reached the mark of distinction in the “Flowering House Plant” category. An alstroemeria presented by Könst Alstroemeria from the Netherlands, i.e. the ‘White Pearls’, was again got marked in the “Cut Flowers” category. The Expert Commission
decided in favour of the Picea abies ‘Little Santa’ presented by Baumschule Artmeyer from Hörstel in the “Woody Plants” category. The jury acclaimed the ‘Helleborus Gold Collection ®Ice N’Roses®’ (Helleborusxglandorfii) presented by Heuger Gartenbaubetriebe from Glandorf in the “Shrubs” category. The Rosa polyantha ‘Smeralda Green Show’ presented by Twelve Energy Societa Agricola SRL from Italy emerged as the Special Prize winner this year. For the first time, the trade public was able to choose its favourite and decided in favour of the winner of the “Shrubs” category: ‘Helleborus Gold Collection ®Ice N’Roses®’ (Helleborusxglandorfii) presented by Heuger Gartenbaubetrieben from Glandorf. Show Your Colours Award Honours Excellent Storytelling The Show Your Colours Award famed shrubs and woody plants with strong-selling stories. The winner was the ‘Mentha requienii MATCH & MOSS MENTHOL’ from van Son & Koot BV from the Netherlands. Distinguished Horticultural Technology An outstanding technical innovation in the field of fruit and vegetable cultivation was presented with the INDEGA IPM Innovation Award. The award which is presented by Messe Essen and INDEGA went to the 2SaveEnergy Consortium for its greenhouse system. FDF Inspiration The Flowery Retail Trade In numerous live shows in the FDF World, the Trade Association of German Florists (FDF) presented trends, marketing concepts and new sales concepts which strengthen the unique selling point and
Event Report competitive advantages of the flowery specialised trade. Tamas Mezoffy from Hungary, the reigning European Champion of Florists, the runner-up Roman Steinhauer from Russia and the third-placed Pirjo Koppi from Finland aroused the enthusiasm during the European Champions Show “Stars of Genoa”. Germany’s best florists introduced spring-fresh young flowery ideas from the hands of champions. The German champion Stephan Triebe from Hamburg, the runner-up Sarah Hasenhündl from Baden-Württemberg and Mehmet Yilmaz from RhinelandPalatinate put the visitors in the right floral mood for the forthcoming spring. Live on the stage, they elaborated workpieces, amongst other subjects, called “Love is all around”, “Floral Heartbreaker on Valentine’s Day”, “plant to go” and “urban jungle”. Public’s favourite was the selfie bouquet. The “Happy Flower People Live on Stage!” show also offered an abundance of flowery inspirations. The participants in international competitions were established during the FDF young florists contest called “Flower Contest - We Want You!”. Maximilian Martin will start for Germany at the 44th WorldSkills in Abu Dhabi. Christina Müglich will represent German floristry at Eurofleurs 2017 in Belgium. IPM Trade Fair Cup 2017 The IPM Trade Fair Cup 2017 bore the motto of “Upcycling”. Sabrina Hadenfeldt from Blumenhaus Hofgarten in Düsseldorf was victorious in the “Bouquet” category. The workpiece of Jennifer Tiroke from Blumen Prinz in Mönchengladbach was acclaimed as the best decorative pot plant. Bärbel Grzenia from Blumen für Dich und Dich in Borken convinced the jury as far as the tub plants were concerned. Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Co.: FDF Inspired the Specialised Flower Trade With its flowery innovations for the young target group, the “Flower Lab” was very well-received. For the first time, the new Millennials collection called “cool flowers for cool people” which FDF and Florismart had developed for the sector was introduced. The new chrysanthemum collection called “just chrys 2017” was
created with a view to new sight habits and altered consumption needs. The displayed creations place their faith in original visual languages in the style of Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and co. In 2017, the FDF Trend Hotspot was dedicated to three major currents in society which are determining the green sector: the search for truth, equilibrium and the definition of new playing rules. The FDF Trend Hotspot showed displays in the trend atmospheres called “Harmonise”, “Equalise”, “Energise” and “Rebel”. The flower as a trend product and a must-have for modern customers. The FDF President Helmuth Prinz: “FDF’s new booth concept suceeded perfectly. Here, the trends implemented by us such as Upcycling and Factory Style went down very well. For us, IPM ESSEN is an inestimable platform on which we reach a national and international trade public and to make people keen about the florist’s occupation. We had a lot of good discussions, valuable contacts and a successful exchange of ideas.” IPM ESSEN 2017: Figures in Detail 1,577 (in 2016: 1,588) exhibitors from 45 (49) nations and 66 (64) percent of them from abroad. Also including the augur for the last day of the trade fair, there were around 42,100 registered trade visitors with a foreign proportion of 36 percent. The extensive supporting programmes were visited not only by international participants but also, amongst others, by guests of honour, representatives of the press and local authorities as well as sponsors. The proportion of trade visitors was 98 (97.2) percent.
Exhibitors’ Opinions Armin Rehberg, Chairman of the Board, Landgard eG: “IPM is the most beautiful trade fair in the world. Johannes B. Kerner, Landgard Award, new webshop solutions, picture database and new concepts at Landgard: For us, IPM has given the starting signal for Cooperative Marketing 4.0. After we had a very positive mood at the Landgard Spring Ordering Days, we can say with complete conviction that after the successful days at the trade fair: We together with our producer businesses and customers, are looking foward into the new year 2017 season optimistically. Helma van der Louw, Bizz Communications: “Bizz Communications is uniting the Dutch nurseries at IPM ESSEN. 60 companies have participated this year. That shows how important the trade fair is - not only because of its international character. IPM ESSEN makes it possible to look beyond the European borders, to meet new customers and to maintain existing trade relations. This year, we had a lot of activities on our booth because the Kingdom of the Netherlands was IPM’s partner country. Furthermore, we have once again successfully organised the Show Your Colours Award.” Christian Mütherich, Managing Director, Mütherich Nadelholzkulturen: “At IPM ESSEN, we meet a lot of international customers from Poland, Russia and France. It is the suitable meeting place in order to look back on the
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Christmas tree season and plan the coming year. As a plant producer, we are not only an exhibitor but also a visitor. Here, we can find the available range relevant to us, e.g. soils.” Dhr. Jos Beverborg, Commercieel Manager, IPP Holland: “Our appearance at the trade has gone perfectly. The number of customers was high and we have greeted a lot of new customers on our booth. We were busy throughout and that is always a good sign. This year, there was a particularly strong demand for coloured pots. The public at the trade fair was very international and well-informed. This had the positive effects on the sales discussions. IPM ESSEN is a very important for us. Therefore, we will definitely be involved again in the coming year.” Björn Hansen, Managing Director, Soendgen Keramik: “We are very satisfied with IPM ESSEN 2017. The visitor frequency and the quality of the discussions were satisfactory. Our highlight at the trade fair was the high container called ‘Vimmerby’ with which we are reacting to the Scandinavian trend. Our outdoor POS concept has also gone down well. For us, IPM ESSEN is seeded as an international platform. We will be an exhibitor once again in 2018.” Anika Wendorf, Event and Media Coordinator, Sygenta FloriPro Services: “IPM 2017 was once again a total success for Syngenta FloriPro Services. A very good trade fair at which we had the
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possibilities of contacting our customers in a pleasant atmosphere and introducing our products and solutions.” Richard Petri, Marketing Manager, Selecta One: “The mood at IPM ESSEN was very good and we are very satisfied with how the trade fair has gone. This year, we enlarged our booth. The inflow was extremely good and continuous. We managed to place with the visitors in an outstanding way. Our new consumer campaign was introduced to the sector here for the first time.” Frank F. Lock, President, Representation of interests of the German horticulture industry (INDEGA) & Managing Director, Lock Antriebstechnik GmbH: “IPM ESSEN 2017 had sensible innovations. Hall 3 is being transformed and is raising its internationality particularly in the exhibitor field. The new hall allocation should also be rated as positive: Thanks to the connection through the Galeria, Halls 3 and 7 are now being perceived as a coherent Technology area. Another important step is the focus on fruit and vegetables as a multifaceted main subject - a weighting which should be pursued and strengthened in the long term. This year’s presentation of the INDEGA Innovation Award is also reflecting the high internationality of the sector and we are pleased that a Dutch cooperation venture consisting of four firms has won the award. It is in INDEGA’s interest to support innovative work - beyond borders. As an exhibitor’s
role, we from LOCK are satisfied, too. Thanks to our new product called ‘EZD 52’, we were able to enter into intensive dialogues with potential customers and to hold concrete sales discussions.” Helmut Selders, President, Federation of German Nurseries (BdB): “IPM ESSEN always goes well for us as it goes for our members and we have received positive feedback from them. As in the previous years, in the middle of the Nursery Hall 11, we were not only a contact for our BdB members and colleagues from the neighbouring European countries but have also offered them a platform in order to become latticed with each other. We have spoken with many companies interested in federation membership and also with a lot of young people in training. We were approached by the people responsible at the local authorities. All of them focused on: the subject of green spaces in cities. The particular initiative with which we are bringing our trees out of the specialist world of IPM and into the public was also appropriate for this: The City of Essen can be pleased about 53 new trees. Together with the Ehren, Ley and Reincke nurseries, we from the Federation of German Nurseries have presented this gift to the European Green Capital 2017: And as a ‘Tree Parade’, every Essener will be able to admire them in the city centre next week. Thanks to the landscape architect Andreas Kipar for the fantastic idea and to Simone Raskob, Head of Essen’s Environmental Department, who is assuming responsibility for the further care of the trees.” n
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Industry View
Indian industry should respect Plant Breeders’ Rights ... asserts Sangram Jagtap, CEO, Tukai Exotics
The Indian floriculture and nursery sector is growing at a rapid pace and is progressing towards emerging as an organized industry. In a recent exchange of ideas with Floriculture Today’s team, Sangram Jagtap stressed the need to strengthen Plants Breeders’ Rights in India. Excerpts:
We interacted with the leading global stakeholders of the floriculture industry and a concern that was raised by all of them was the lack of protection of Plants Breeders’ Rights in India. Being a major Indian player in the industry, could you please share with us that what is the Indian industry doing to safeguard these rights as it is affecting its image at the global stage? There is some work happening with regards to Plant Breeder's Rights in India. However, it is too less and too slow. Having plant patents for a country, the size of India, are a must. We cannot realize our dream to be on the global stage unless we recognize and protect Plant Breeder's Rights. We represent some of the leading plant breeding companies from across the world. However it is a nightmare to curtail unauthorized propagation in India. Many large nurseries and respectable people continue to knowingly propagate these new varieties. We are very thankful to our principals for understanding the reality in India and yet working with us with their latest genetics. With that said, we as growers in India should not test their patience. Hopefully the unauthorized growers understand their mistake and choose the right path quickly. The top breeding companies are in Europe and the USA and Japan. We will see more and more of these coming into India. But it all depends on how we respect plant breeder rights. Most of the plants genera are already here. You can expect them to get better every year. Could you please share your thoughts on what would be the status of Pune based nurseries in the next three to five years? Pune is most important centre in the country for hi-tech plant nurseries. There is a steady investment happening, which will keep the
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production volumes growing. However, we have to get over constraints of water, labour, and high costs of land. Team MNA represents over ninety per cent volume of this sector and strives to give it the correct vision and direction. As this industry is growing, could you please share the recent initiatives taken up by MNA to infuse confidence among its members? Maharashtra Nurserymen’s Association has been at the forefront of networking and policy advocacy in the plant nursery sector for the past 15 years. Our members share a great connection with each other. MNA has helped Pune get into the leading position in the pot plant market. There are many events throughout the year, which range from visits to other nurseries, technical and financial seminars and even foreign trips. What are the possibilities of nursery sector cooperation with the professional landscape industry, which is the bulk user of the plants and trees? This has been tried for a long time. Unfortunately we have not been able to get these linkages going. It will be a great idea to discuss the possibilities at your upcoming conference at 12th International Flora Expo. At the same time we should do some fact finding as to why this is taking so long to happen. Do you agree with us on the need for semiautomation and mechanization of the industry, as we are facing shortage of labor? Of course! Automation is inevitable. It also improves quality standards. Worker management too as always is an issue. We also require basic management courses for middle managers and supervisors. n
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Industry View
Aiming to create the world’s most sophisticated facility in tissue culture production ... Bhagyashree Patil
Rise n Shine is a shining example of how good dreams are transformed into reality on ground. “Correct understanding of Opportunities is base for any successful business venture”, says Mrs. Bhagyashree Patil, Managing Director, Rise n’ Shine Biotech Pvt. Ltd. in an interview with Floriculture Today tells about it all, from dream stage to flourishing AgriBusiness venture known worldwide.
My dreams and my vision were in line to “to become the dominant player in commercial plant tissue culture industry to improve Indian agriculture”. All my strategies were focused to make this happen. Your enterprise started in 2004. While users and farmers saw it as a growing & trusted supplier of most important input to farming, i.e. planting material, how did you, as leader of this venture experienced it? And its most significant milestones ? It all started in 1999, with very simple idea of stepping in agriculture business, which was then just my liking and hobby. Over a small piece of land cultivation of tomato; chili; lady finger etc began. It wasn’t supported by any Hi- tech practices but as I was born and brought up in an agriculturist family, it was absolute my inclination which made me go for
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cultivation of such crops. This produce had market in nearby areas. Though I was an Art graduate, I made my own library of magazines, publications and scientific researches in the field of Agriculture and Horticulture. I was deeply involved in studying the latest technologies. Whenever I found any technology that is suitable, essential and feasible, I started implementing. In 2004, Rise n Shine Biotech was established. We gradually moved on to Poly-house cultivation of flowers like gerbera, carnation etc. My team started growing. I believe in strength of a team work.
Tissue culture is a proven technique of producing millions of identical plants by culturing plant tissues or organs under germ-free conditions, is an essential component of plant biotechnology. I and my team started probing the intricacies of this business. “Correct understanding of Opportunities is base for any successful business venture”. My dreams and my vision were in line to “to become the dominant player in commercial plant tissue culture industry to improve Indian agriculture”. All my strategies were focused to make this happen. We planned expansion of laboratories. My aim was to create the world’s most sophisticated facility in tissue culture production. And this wasn’t an easy task. My employee forecast estimated that we will require over 400 employees for production at laboratory and green houses. Over 50 people in various other departments like marketing, purchase, accounts, R&D, HR, quality control etc. the search began and it took its own time to make a complete team. With increase in operations, hiow has the company grown ? We understand you already have a production capacity is 40 million plants per year - what are future plans? Today Rise n shine is equipped with massive 105,000 sq ft tissue culture production laboratory, with 10000 clean class area. We focus on providing
Industry View integrated solutions in the area of Biotech, Floriculture and Horticulture to accelerate the progress of Biotechnology. Biotech and R&D division is actively involved in the development of micro propagation protocols for various crop plants, ornamentals including Gerbera, orchids etc, and suggest quality control measures for micro propagated plants. Company has a full-fledged international standard in house research & development facility with 4000 sq.ft laboratory space operating within the premises. R&D is equipped with ultra modern amenities for virus indexing and molecular techniques, with world class equipments that meet with the global standard of Biotechnology. Our scientists have worked on many different plant species for the development of production techniques. The green House area has a spread over 45000 sq.mt with hardening facility consisting of more than 4.0 million plants. We have been setting new standards when it comes to up-gradation in technology, innovation in process and involvement in the products. Company has reached out pan India and about approx 22 different nations worldwide market through its planting material and products. The Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India has certified the company facility for its top class production and R&D. With these landmark achievements, we are into technology exchange and authorized propagator & distributor for the world’s largest vegetative propagation group Dummen Orange for Gerbera, Chrysanthemum, Limonium, Gypsophilla, Carnation with Barberet & Blanc (Spain). Our international collaboration is also with Darwin Plants B.V. Holland & USA, Kultana Orchids, Thailand, VCI Netherlands for Liliums, Corn Bak for Bromeliad, etc. We have developed micro propagation protocol for plants like Pomegranata ,Asparagus , Ginger, Tectona Grandis Indian Teak, Paulonia Fortuneii (China teak) at commercial level. We can do contract production of Customers’ varieties, further we can develop production protocol i.e. technology for production of customers varieties and we can also consult for various tissue
culture inputs. We can supply tissue cultured plants material viz. floriculture, horticulture (Fruits), medicinal and ornamental species for farmers (customers) as per their requirements. With increasing demands of international markets in terms of quality, consistency and certifications, what certifications has Rise n’ Shine taken ? We are proud to have ISO 9001: 2008 certification which specifies requirements for a quality management system , where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide product that meets customer requirements, and aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for continual improvement. Experts in Floriculture say - “Floriculture requires three most important inputs. -Logistics, Logistics and logistics.” How is Rise n’ Shine taking care of this aspect? Logistic is most important in Perishable Industry, our customer should receive the quality products at their door. Therefore we choose reliable & reasonable carrier/ airline who provide cool chain, good & prompt service & in less transit period. First aspect of good logistics is packaging. Sometime during transshipments due to high ambient temperature, it is difficult to protect plants from it. Therefore, we use Styrofoam boxes, wherein we have to make proper insulation by using bubble papers and papers inside boxes. We have to use Gel Icepacks inside box, so that we can maintain required temperature during whole transit period. We have done research for each segment/sector, accordingly we have do packaging. Second factor in logistics is proper documentation. Phytosanitary Certificate is most important documents in perishable plant clearance. In view of International Plant Quarantine Organization, there are different rule/regulation of every country for importing different crops/ species, we have to study about it & prepare Phytosanitary Certificates & other documents accordingly & send to customer well in advance, so that they can clear the shipment once it arrives and
clear in time. Another important aspect is Preintimation & prompt communication. We have to communicate with customer about shipping arrangement, flight details & shipment in advance. So that they can prepared for it in advance. So from logistic point of view, choosing reliable airline, proper documentation, proper packaging & pre-shipment advise are most important things. Many women entrepreneurs get inspiration from your success as also your zeal to help other women. Does the name of the firm, I believe an acronym for “Rising Opportunities - Shining Prospects” has got a special meaning in this sense for you? Yes. We had did some surveys in Theur and villages nearby. There I realize that many rural women are willing to work but due to family conventional pattern they aren’t moving out. I started counseling the families of such women. Explained to them about the potential of rural women, how well they can work, earn and support family. Though it was difficult task but through consistent follow-ups we availed the targeted human resource. As our expansion plan was in execution we started training these women. They were given technical training for production; they were trained for the hygiene within production areas. Today they are so well versed in handling the production; I can say with pride that all these women are real building blocks of the Rise n’ Shine. With so many International associations, the company has positioned itself as market leader, but for me this is just half side of the success. My real success is in improving socio-economic conditions of rural women. I do believe in Corporate Social Responsibility but I also believe in strong passionate mind which believes in growing together. Every entrepreneur should set a definite business philosophy. This philosophy will provide guidelines and will act as lighthouse all the time you navigate your business. I respectfully submit that numerous hands have contributed for Rise n’ Shine to reach this paradigm. I am thankful to entire team, my family and especially my better half Dr. P.D. Patil and my children for their continuous support. n
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Gardening Industry
Going Green and Nurturing Plants Necessary for Clean Environment — Dinesh Rawat, Green Mall, Kolkata
Green Mall deals in plants as well as tools and garden machinery. You do normally provide complete services and solutions for gardening. Could you please share with us as to how did you come up with the idea of setting up Green Mall and what had been the driving force? The present day world is chanting the mantra of go green by reducing the level of pollution and increasing the green covers on the earth since global warming has become quite a serious issue at hand. But in today’s times, we are all lost amidst money making strategies and no one has spare time to do something noble to save Mother Nature. Business in today’s world is defined as an entity of the organization that earns by selling consumer products and services, but very rarely would you come across instances when an entrepreneur genuinely develops a business of selling plants or at least a motive for selling its ancillary products. I came upon the idea of doing something for a good cause and wanted my field of business to contribute for the society at large. Planting trees would never be considered as an important task of a sane man in today’s scenario and neither would it help saving mother earth from pollution that will be taken up seriously as a threat. The only thing that could be sufficed for a cause such as this is gardening. Now gardening not only relates to planting trees that brings forth a good effect, but in other way, it can also be treated as a hobby that would be taken up to release stress and strain. So when I developed the idea of Green Mall, I knew it would not be the source of earring as its sole motive, but also to do something attributive to the noble cause of serving nature and the environment in right earnest. Now the driving force has been my eagerness to change the mindset of people
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“
Planting trees would never be considered as an important task of a sane man in today’s scenario and neither would it help saving mother earth from pollution that will be taken up seriously as a threat. The only thing that could be sufficed for a cause such as this is gardening
who are unaware about the cause and effect and issues of global warming and as to how gardening and green marketing can provide a desirous solution to it. Gardening is a small step that can bring forth of a great change. Sensitizing people about the importance of plants and trees for the environment is very important as it will encourage them
to live in harmony with nature. You do provide educational tours as well. Have these tours helped in making children realize the importance of nature and what are some of the aspects that you cover through these educational tours? I sincerely believe the fact that the greatest impact that can change the world and smooth the future days would come from the younger generation as the yare better equipped to mold the situations in their favor. So it goes without saying that it is important to impart the children as to how great the roles plants and greenery do play in our day to day life. The motto behind the educational tours is to imbibe the children with the knowledge about plants and how do they protect Mother Nature. The best part about the educational tours is that it is not treated as classroom education in a popular sense, but a sort of a nature study that gives some amount of response and at the same time it makes aware of the pros and cons. Some of the main aspect that covered the educational tour is that the children are shown variety of plants they are talked about including origin and essential qualities the plants have. Presentations are given to them that draw their attention and they are told about their roles in serving nature. The concept of garden centers in India is still in its nascent stage. As one of the pioneers in this sector, what has been the kind of response that you have received? Well, I received very encouraging and positive response. Since I was into a high wire International trading business, people found it very strange that a man who has been travelling all over the world leading a high-class life should settle down in a village and take up a humble vocation of plants nursery. It was so remarkable that in the opening ceremony
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Gardening Industry of Green Mall several State dignitaries, including State Ministers, Mayor in council, Director of Botanical Garden Howrah, eminent authors and scientists were present and all of them applauded my initiative Although people were in awe as to how such a successful person in the business of International trading would venture into a business like this which would take years to stabilize and reach people, a business which has very low profit Answer: The response which I have mostly received in my business is lukewarm. The shortcomings that I face when this comes of selling plants for gardens and the equipment is the lack of awareness among the people. More so owing to urbanization, people have started living in flats or apartments for which gardening can seldom be taken up as career development by people. But then there are people who wouldbuy a plant or two for certain decorative purposes and my business can provide aplethora of plants that have high aesthetic value. So the responses happened to be inaccordance to this. But I can certainly hope that by seeing
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the present trend that the awareness would spread and certainly just like cleanliness is a cause that can never be done without, going green and nurturing plants for the sake of maintaining clean environment would be taken up seriously. My own idea as placed in my handbook “Green Your Surrounding� world necessarilyhelp those one interested to make their own gardenutilizing even the small space they have in their home/apartment. The landscaping industry is extremely crucial for the nursery sector. How doyou think the coordination between landscape architects and nursery sector stakeholders can be improved? Given the fact that landscaping hasits base on which the idea of plantation develops. It goes without saying that the relation between the landscaping architects and the nursery sector stakeholders is crucial and of prime importance. Plants can only grow if healthy inputs are given. So it’s very much required to develop a healthy coordination between the landscaping architects and the nursery sector stakeholders. There are several
means by which it can be developed. The first way is to impart them and enlighten them about the cause and the market for the business and how saleable an idea the business on plants is. Then they have to be talked about the returns and the cause relating to it. And slowly with the rise in awareness the coordination would be developed and taken a shape. You provide a range of garden tools and machinery. Do you have an in-house production or do you supply the products of other manufacturer? Yes we have a regular tie up arrangement with some manufacturing company in this regard to satisfy the need and requirement of the consumers. Apart from Kolkata what are the other areas that you are targeting for the future? Neighboring states that so ever may come in contact and interested to hire our product and services or share with us in opening or expanding their ongoing business as well. n
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New Technology
STOCKOSORB is Ecofriendly ... Helps Creating Constant Moisture Condition in the Plant’s Root Zone — Michael Terhart, New Business Development Manager for Agriculture, Evonik, Germany
STOCKOSORB® products are specially designed for use as soil conditioner for water and nutrient retention in landscaping, forestry, horticulture and agriculture
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Tell us something about Evonik? Evonik’s Core Activity is the specialty chemicals business. Evonik is one of the world’s leading specialty chemicals companies, having its headquarter in Essen, Germany. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. The central elements of our strategy for sustained value creation are profitable growth, efficiency and values. Around 80 percent of our sales come from market-leading positions, which we are systematically expanding. We concentrate on highgrowth megatrends, especially health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. In 2015 Evonik’s more than 33,500 employees generated sales of around €13.5 billion and an operating result (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.47 billion. Around 82 percent of sales are generated outside Germany, providing convincing evidence that our business is global. Evonik, with its unique products has been a leader in the area of water and soil management. Could you provide us a comprehensive picture in this area? Evoniks activities in high end non-hygiene Superabsorbent Polymers, are comprised under the Creasorb umbrella. For example, we use Creasorb Hydrogel technology for protection of power lines and communication cables against water entry or as an addition to quench water in firefighting and fire prevention. The product portfolio of Creasorb also contains a soil granulate absorbing water
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and fertilizer as well as a liquid absorbent for food packaging, storage and transportation called ‘STOCKOSORB®’. Creasorb can draw back on multi-year knowledge in the field of absorbent polymer technology and Evonik’s global market leadership in highly-developed superabsorbent polymers. Creasorb is working on new ways to grow the business with superabsorbent polymers such as STOCKOSORB® and improve profitability for clients by means of high-end products, technical service, optimal quality management and above all saving our ecology and natural resources such as Water & Soil. The use of STOCKOSORB® in the reforestation of Argan trees (Argania Spinose) in Morocco, shows that super absorbents can help overcome arid conditions. For this idea, the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has honoured Evonik with its ‘Responsible Care Award’ (large companies’ category). At the awards ceremony in Madrid (Spain) Klaus Engel, Chairman of Evonik’s Executive Board, said: “This award shows that innovative ideas are vital for sustainability. Responsible Care is a clear commitment that we apply conscientiously. However, we can only address future challenges such as climate change and the shortage of resources if we are creative and come up with unusual ideas.” The Responsible Care Award is presented by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) for projects that foster cooperation,
New Technology address energy efficiency and climate change, encourage health, safety and environmental excellence and demonstrate the business value of Responsible Care. The Responsible Care initiative, which is supported by Evonik, is the chemical industry’s commitment to the principles of sustainable development. Given the depleting state of water and soil, due to the deteriorating level of natural resources and environmental conditions at large, what are Evonik’s contributions to the drive for sustainable agriculture? STOCKOSORB® products are specially designed for use as soil conditioner for water and nutrient retention in landscaping, forestry, horticulture and agriculture. STOCKOSORB® increases the utilizable water holding capacity of soils and potting mixes by more than 200 to 300 times its own weight. By applying STOCKOSORB® the frequency of irrigation, as well as the leaching of valuable nutrients is reduced. Due to the improved water supply the yield potential of soils and substrates is ensured. After precipitation or irrigation, STOCKOSORB® granules swell to gel particles which store water, as well as the plant nutrients dissolved in the water. Water and nutrients are available to the plant, ready for the plant to tap into whenever it needs to. STOCKOSORB® helps creating constant moisture conditions in the root zone of the plant. Providing a moisture buffer against insufficient rainfall and watering, heat and drought.Thus, STOCKOSORB® provides a continuously available water reservoir, just where the plant needs it - in the root zone. As a result of consistent soil moisture and nutrient availability, the yield potential of soils and substrates is maximized. Applied at the recommended dosage rates and homogenously mixed with the soil, STOCKOSORB® does not lead to water logging. STOCKOSORB® acts as a discreet package of water, which loosens the soil, increasing porosity, maximizing aeration and oxygen supply to the roots, which in turn minimizes root damage due to water logging. In addition, watering and irrigation labour costs are also reduced, resulting in an even larger return on your investment. STOCKOSORB® advanced hydrogel technology is a water and soil management tool designed for the agricultural and
horticultural sectors. As a leader in hydrogel technology for more than 20 years, our management system is certified according to ISO 9001 and 14001, ensuring a high-quality product.
increased. 3 g (5lbs.) of STOCKOSORB® per litre (cubic Yard) of soil reduces water loss 3050%. Thus, the time until plants reach the permanent wilting point is prolonged.
Your latest product STOCKOSORB®660, a hydrogel, how is it different from the other hydrogels and what gives it an edge over the others? Many of the Hydrogels used in the market are Sodium and Polyacrylamide based. Both these properties come with disadvantages compared to our new generation product. STOCKOSORB® 660 is an advanced version of Hydrogel which is made of Acrylic Acid and Potassium. This makes STOCKOSORB® a very Eco-friendly, Bio-degradable and NonToxic option in the world of Hydrogel technology. We learned from experience that Sodium-Based polymers can damage the soil over time and do not contribute to plant growth in the way a potassiumbased polymer does. The swelling of the hydrogel during water uptake expands soil volume by increasing porosity thus providing a better environment for root growth. When applied at a rate of 3g/L (5lbs./ cubic yard), sandy soil compaction is reduced by 23% where soil pore volume is increased by 41%. Water infiltration and retention is greatly improved while reducing soil erosion by as much as 50%. STOCKOSORB® stores water and plant nutrients. Water which is routinely lost is captured and becomes now available to plants. Thus, the soil moisture content is
With reference to STOCKOSORB®, where have you introduced it so far? Is there any success story from one of the users of this hydrogel that you would like to share with us? STOCKOSORB® has been presently marketed widely in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and in some other Indian states in small quantities. We have an interesting success story in Sangamner district of Maharashtra, a Pomegranate farmer of 3.50 acres used our STOCKOSORB® during the last drought season. In a normally drought situation, he would need roughly 500 to 550 Water-Tankers to keep his product alive and get a good yield. With STOCKOSORB® being used for the first time by this farmer, very reluctantly, he cut just 100 Tankers from his total requirement by using Rs. 25,000 worth of our material. At an average price of Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2000 per Tanker, he saved roughly, Rs. 1.50 to Rs. 2 Lakhs in that season. There are many such success stories and it will keep on growing day after day. The farmers have to understand that, we all have to work together to save our natural resources and in particular Water. Water being one of the prime need of humans, is going to be the most important asset for the future of farming. Saving it today is as good as saving it for our future generations.
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New Technology What are the various ways that you adopt to impart knowledge to the farmers/ growers about your products? Our competent Channel Partner, Mr. Chetan Dedhia of M/s. J. J. Overseas, Mumbai, has been in the forefront in pushing this technology the farmers. They have a good network of Distributors, Dealers and above all a capable Sales team who can understand the farmers requirements and help them with proper solutions with our product. They participate in Exhibitions, conduct farmer trainings and field trials and also help with agronomy support. Evonik, on the other hand, has a specially dedicated team of scientists working on the improvement of STOCKOSORB® performance and is always ready to face and answer the technical queries initiated by the sales team around the world. What is the kind of response that Evonik’s products have received in India so far? To be frank, there is still a lot of misconception in the market regarding Hydrogels, cheaper imports and nontechnical companies have been pushing the Hydrogel technology with wrong products. Many of the Hydrogels sold today are sodium-neutralized polymers that can damage the soil, others are Acrylamide-based. One important factor to be understood is that Hydrogels are currently mainly used within the Hygiene Industry.For these industries, Sodium based products are quite suitable, but to use them in the agricultural sector would be very damaging in the long-
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term. Hence, STOCKOSORB®-660 was launched a few years back keeping true the company policy to provide products which have minimal collateral damage to our environment and planet. With STOCKOSORB® - 660 being in the market for almost 3 years, we are proud to say that now we have picked up a good momentum in the Indian market and we have got a very good response with the farmers. The Indian farmers seem to be quite proactive and receptive towards this concept. We look forward to being a major contributor in helping farmers save their water and fertilizer costs. As part of your future expansion plans in India, what are the specific areas in which you see the potential for growth and hence would like to target? Looking at the drought scenario in some states and the in-general growing awareness on the importance of saving water and fertilizer inputs, we see STOCKOSORB® as a prime product to help achieving these goals. The coming season, we are going to focus heavily at the Root level, starting with helping Nurseries to start using STOCKOSORB® and reduce the rate of mortality of seedlings when transplanting in the field. Simultaneously, focus on heavily irrigated crops such as Sugarcane, rice, banana, etc; and help them reduce their irrigation cycles. Rainfed crops will also be specifically targeted. Horticulture is one sector where awareness is quite big and it is more acceptable due to high returns. Similarly, use of STOCKOSORB® in Forestry will also prove to be very useful
and we are talking to several Government officials and NGO’s in promoting the use of STOCKOSORB® in ensuring the survival of Forest plantations and Plantations on National and State Highways. Is STOCKOSORB environmentally compatible? Is it Safe? STOCKOSORB® used in landscaping, forestry and agriculture is environmentally sound. In-depth eco-toxicological testing was performed in laboratories certified according to the rules of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). No evidence for adverse effects of STOCKOSORB® to animals, plants, soil or ground water was obtained. STOCKOSORB® is classified as an “inert ingredient” by the US Environmental Protection Agency EPA under 40 CFR section 180.1001(c). STOCKOSORB® 660 is free of any toxicological listings and is exempt from California Proposition 65 since it contains no Acrylamide. STOCKOSORB® is degradable and will break down into natural components of carbon dioxide, water and Potassium salts. It is designed to remain active in the soil for one to three years. Is STOCKOSORB® available in stock? And where? The agricultural range of STOCKOSORB®-660 is in stock and available with M/s. J. J. Overseas, Mumbai. (email: info@jjoverseas.com) You can be in touch with them for bulk supplies as well as for end use. n
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Interview
From Portugal to the World at IPM Fair
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he process based on such techniques as hybridisation and the genetic improvement of gerberas, is carried out on the company facilities in Alcochete. After that, the plants are sent to India, where the company also has labs, to be multiplied. After this phase, the place where the plants thickening takes place depends on its trade destination. If it is on the Asian continent, the thickening process continues in India. If the destination is Europe, the plants return to Portugal. If the global is to sell the plants in the American continent, Montiplanta works with a company in Colombia. Currently, the company is testing 150 varieties in greenhouses. Of these, “one or two will go into the market”. To select the varieties which are commercialized, David Yarkoni, company manager, explains that “we know the history and origin of each one very well” and the market also has a word to say. “We always have an open day in which our clients come and see the varieties”. David Yarkoni exemplifies that “there are flowers that can be very successful in Japan, but in Portugal nobody wants them. Each market has its taste”.
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— David Yarkoni The company’s work in Portugal began in 1993, a few years after David Yarkoni arrived from Israel to work with a Portuguese chemical fertilisers company. Before coming to Portugal, the business man worked as director of the exports department for a company of the flower sector, therefore he “had experience with flowers”. By working with the fertilisers company, he realised that the imported plants were very expensive, so he started
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producing them. “We have accompanied the floricultural development in Portugal”, he recalls. And they have also been a part of it. At the same time Montiplanta was introducing more flowers in the options of Portuguese producers, and the wooden greenhouses evolved for more sophisticated structures with environmental control capacity. Today, “our plant is almost all over the world”. Regarding the consumption of flowers,
David Yarkoni defends that this “depends on the economic situation, habits and traditions”. For example, “in India and Japan flowers are commonly used in traditional practices. Europe has less of that tradition, therefore consumption is decreasing”. When it comes to the Portuguese production specifically, Yarkoni says that “in the last five years, Portugal has exported more flowers. There is a production movement in Portugal for the prevalence of exports”. National producers have quality on their side. “We don’t have lower quality than any other producer.” However, promotion is important. Between January 24 and 27, Montiplanta was part of Portugal Fresh’s stand at IPM Essen, in Germany, a fair dedicated to the international plant trade. Montiplanta is breeding Gerbera cut flowers since 1995. The company is located in the area of Montijo near the center of cut flower production in Portugal. The climate and location let us have a selection of varieties that does well in hot countries with high radiation. The breeding and selective strategies employed by Montiplanta have been shown to be highly successful for over 20 years. Our breeding direction is to maximise the income of flower producers. This can be achieved by breeding towards varieties which are simple to grow (soil and hydro). We are aiming in our breeding for varieties with very high production all year, lowering the costs by resistant to pests and diseases.
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Nursery Industry
KSG FARMS: ROSE BREEDER OF INDIA A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. The nursery plant sector engenders thousands of different species of perennial, vines, ground covers, shrubs and trees that are used to beautify public and private landscapes and to re-vegetate damaged native ecosystems. Nurseries may supply plants for gardens, for agriculture, for forestry and for guardianship of biology. Most nurseries remain highly labour-intensive as growing nursery crops is challenging due to the enormous multeity of plants propagated and production systems used. Karnataka is the pioneer in floriculture for over 300 years, reckoning a good percentage of India’s total flower production. The country’s first flower auction centre is located in Karnataka. Bangalore is established as the Garden City of India and has two nationally sighted botanical gardens – Lalbagh and Cubbon Park, which courts a lot of visitors through the year. In the year 1955, G.Kasturi Rangan rooted his farm in his father’s name as a reminiscence of a prominent horticulturist and of his valuable teachings in Bangalore, India. His grandson, Sarvesh Sriram associated him as a Manager Marketing & Client Relations. K.S.Gopalaswamiengar (KSG) is a furtheranceof his father’s nursery. He has a great assemblage of exquisite plants like Crotons, Hibiscus, Bougainvilleas, Roses, Anthuriums, Alocasias, Aglonemas and many other species along with Rose Culture and hybridizing aspects of other plants. G.Kasturi Rangan , son of K.S.Gopalaswamiengar, was born on 12th October, 1930. Better known as a cricketer, a genuine fast bowler representing Karnataka Cricket Association in Ranji Trophy over 15 years and also as captain for three years with the involvement in the Administration. He was the curator for KSCA and a state selector further as Vice President for many years. Having appreciable knowledge, he became the Chief curator of the Grounds and Pitches committee, getting to the development of test cricket playing grounds in the country to international standards. At present, G.Kasturi Rangan, is one of the popular rose breeder of Bangalore and the Managing Director of KSG Farms who shared his acknowledgements about the nursery sector in an interview by Krithika Nag. Excerpts:
The nursery sector is still in its developing phase, what led to the beginning of such a long period of involvement in this sector? This nursery is of almost 85-90 old year’s started by my father. He was a keen horticulturist and wrote a book –“Complete Gardening in India” which is like a manual for all people and serves as a guide for all horticulturists in government departments. From Day one, I was very fond of plants, so he put me into an Agricultural College. I passed out in 1951. He also gave me lots of training that got me thorough with all types of horticultural plants. He had built a collection of 350 varieties of roses. So when I completed my studies, he imported roses from three major nurseries in England, and that’s how I started rose cultivation and collection. Every year from
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Nursery Industry then, I imported around 50 types of roses. I later met Dr. B.P.Pal who is a world known figure in this industry. He was the one who motivated me to start breeding of roses. We are the first in this industry to start a catalogue only for roses along with its description. Every plant that goes out of the nursery is labeled and is code numbered so no possibility of mislabeling. All these labeling is done only either by me personally or by my grandson. We have built a huge client base from almost entire India who depends upon KSG Farms for genuine varieties of roses, achieving a recognizable reputation. I usually spend about six hours or sometimes work till 1 a.m. despite being eighty six years of age with ailments, because of my passion. This is my daily routine. Some of the major problems faced by the industry include availability of skilled labour, quality planting material, quarantine issue and government support. What is your opinion on these issues? Labour is our biggest problem. Previously, we had about 25-30 people working with us, reduced to 10. Now with 5000 varieties of roses, we have hardly seven people working with us permanently and having some contract labourers. We plant about three lakhs of plants every year supervising the cutting and every other operation. Generally people work in garment factories as it is convenient and get more wages without spoiling their hands in mud. With regards to quarantine issue, we are facing a lot of problems as we are direct importers of all the plants. I would like to state that the quarantine department has been very good to us as we are importing since 1951. However, nowadays, the rules are very strict. Since we import rose, these have to be in quarantine for nearly eighteen months, whereas it’s about a couple of months for other plants without knowing the actual reason for such a long time. We have been fighting to reduce the time but everything in vain. Quarantine department does not know what sorts of issues are being faced and in horticulture only a few varieties are listed to be imported, posing a difficult scenario. No matter how many times we tried to address this issue,
but we are never successful enough to receive a response from the government. I sell newly imported varieties at a very nominal rate of Rs. 75-100 each. Also, the cost to export one single plant is Rs. 2500-3000. However, in my catalogue, highest rate is Rs. 150. Our main aim is to get all the important varieties of roses into our country, and distribute it to all nurserymen. We encourage them to get them out into the open, otherwise, many varieties will remain in their homes and no one would ever get to know about them. We have many rose breeders that breed import variety of roses in our country only but we don’t have the facility to export.
The only time we sent roses abroad was in 1978, when I personally went to England with the budding plant and gave it to a nursery called ‘Gandis Roses’. This variety was called Bharani – a beautiful blue rose which they had for many years and through this variety, they also bred many other varieties of roses. The same variety, I sent it for Germany as well, but they told that our roses are good but only for Indian climatic conditions. With respect to quality planting, initially, we dig the plants and send it directly to the customers, but they are not aware of how to grow these roses, for which, I received many complaints. So I started to put these rose plants in pots, grow them for six months, to assure their survival, hence, after that, developed a system wherein, any independent plant that has to be sold should not be less than one year. Our packing systems are all of international standards. In your opinion, what are the steps that the major private players or INA as their representative body should take up to solve these problems? Generally, we don’t approach any government officials; otherwise, we
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Nursery Industry would have met them and discussed the do’s and don’ts. This can be done only when the officer knows you personally. This is a major problem. Because, the secretaries do not remain permanent and gets transferred. We also do not approach the INA. The government approaches us to give better plans, amenities and plants. For example, Lalbagh, Cubbon park etc. in south ways us for plants along with many government aided gardens, parks, institutions and government buildings. Each direction ways us for plants as our plants have the desired quality and can be delivered in large numbers. From Asia, KSG Farms is the only nursery mentioned in the list of nurseries from across the world in the ‘Combined rose list’ guide. A common complaint by the major players of the sector in India is the lack of government support. Don’t you think it is high time the industry should address its own grievances and be self-reliant instead of constantly looking towards the government? I actually do not want to go for government support, because, they are not thorough with the subjects at all in
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Karnataka. If you go to Lalbagh and ask them about the labeling, they are not aware as they are posted there for only about two years. Probably one percent there might have the knowledge hence, no point in approaching government. Every nursery in Bangalore are self made. No government has aided or helped us. Whereas in Andhra Pradesh, entire kadiyam has been funded by the AP government. Chandrababu Naidu provided every help possible to these people and even to this day, he continues to support them. The president of INA, Subramanya, has told us- “ If we need any help from the government, do inform them and they can get it done as they know certain working officials. This is the only way we can get anything done. Landscape industry and nursery industry are interlinked. One caters the demand generated by the other. How can we promote greater interaction, networking and coordination between these two sectors? For landscaping, having designs are alright, but we need plants as landscaping plants are different. Unless you go to a
good nursery for plants, landscaping is not possible. For landscaping, the plants seen are immediate. You want a tree; you should have a tree ready to be planted. You can’t plant a seedling and wait for the tree to grow. Maintenance is very important in landscaping. Do you provide maintenance for gardens? Depending upon a particular client’s requirement, we do provide maintenance services. Presently, about sixty percent of the maintenance is outsourced, the rest is by us. What are you plans vis-à-vis expansion of trade and production in the coming future? We always look into expansion as we are getting more and more clients from around the country. Most of our clients are government departments and institutions. Each one of them wants roses n from KSG Farms. — With inputs from Sudeepa Ghosh, Delhi.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by G. Kasturi Rangan are his own and do not represent views of editors or publishers.
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Plant Protection
GreenVision for effective pest management in high-tech Agriculture An import substitute manufacturing and R&D company Milind Apte, Zonal Head (Marketing) GreenVision Life Sciences Pvt Ltd, Pune
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ith globalization of markets, shrinking of land and climatic change, the protected cultivation of high value crops has emerged as the single most important technology. This has also ensured high productivity and profitability. Improved qualityand profitable returns are assured through this practice. Majority of the times these veggies,flowers and fruits are exported. Use of biopesticide and bio fertilizers gives assurance of theseproducts getting exported successfully and in return ensuring high profitability. Pest development is observed in greenhouse/poly house as a result of the warm, humid conditions and abundant food inside. Early identification ofinsects pest is necessary to ensure controlover these insects. This helps in controlling the pest, before it gets out of hand and lead to economic loss. Often, the natural enemies that serve to keep pests under control outside are not present in the greenhouse/Polyhouse. For these reasons, pest situations often develop in this indoor environment more rapidly and with greater severity than outdoors. Pest problems can be chronic unless recognized/identified and corrected. Some greenhouse/polyhouseinsects can transmit diseases to the plants which are often more serious than the feeding injury that the insect causes. These insect “vectors” include aphids, leafhoppers, thrips and whiteflies etc. In these instances, the diseases must be managed through early insect control. Successful control of pests in greenhouse/polyhouse vegetables and
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ornamentals depends on several factors. Proper cultural practices can minimize the chance for initiation and buildup of infestations. Early identification and diagnosis are keys to greenhouse/ polyhouse pest management, as well as the proper choice and application of pesticides when they are needed. Bio pesticides are the once which assures residue free and effective crop protection. Bio-pesticide which comprise of naturally available parasites, predators and beneficial pathogens can be identified and let into the fields where they will keep pests away. Some common and important greenhouse/polyhouse insect pests to keep a close watch are aphids, thrips, whiteflies, caterpillars, leaf miners, mealy bugs, mites, slugs, snails and some important diseases like powdery mildew, Downey mildew, rust,botrytis etc. GreenVision Life sciences Pvt
Ltd has given effective products like M-Impact,Horti-Impact, Nanowet,NemaGone, FungiGone, Nourish, Ster-O-Soil, FTA, Right PH in last few years to growers for effective control of pest.There was an increasing demand of product for control against thrips. GreenVision R&D team accepted the challenge and with rigorous efforts developed andlaunched a novel product KC-100 Gold specially for the control of thrips and some other sucking pest.It gives superior thrips control with no known resistance,active on eggs, nymphs and adults. This product has shown ovicidal activity too. Improved formulation that is easy to use, crop/environment safety are additional advantage. GreenVision Life Sciences Pvt Ltd is the “Unique Agro Biotechnology” company.Established in Aug 2007 as a consultancy company, which has emerged as a manufacturing company. Providing techno-legal services to Government of Maharashtra, various agro biotech, pharmaceutical, medical and microbiological industries.Apart from consultancy and manufacturing Green vision is also working in the field of Bioenergy, Organic certification, industrial and agricultural waste management. Company has initiated services like soil testing,water testing and disease identification in recent days for the farmers community. Company has reached to this position as a result of team GreenVision’s n efforts and devotion. E-mail:marketing@greenvisioindia.com
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Landscape
Glory and Grace of Flowering Trees — Alka Singh, B N Patel, Ankit Bhandari, Dipal Bhatt and Shivam Bhatt
Pumeria alba
Delonix regia
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lowering trees in urban vicinity contribute to an attractive green townscape and thus communicate the image of a positive, nature-oriented green city. Indirectly, urban trees and forests can promote tourism and enhance economic development. Urbanization, though epitomize growth, modernization, industrialization has given rise to multiple environmental problems as well as every stress related disorders in human beings. Natural vegetation is shrinking day by day with the developing industrial epoch. Various sensory elements of flowers like fragrance, colour, texture, softness, freshness, etc in all directly influence human psyche and awakens his senses, making him sensitive and aware of the existing wonderful nature. The understanding and need of maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance, have given thrust to natural landscaping with beautiful flowering tree species for different landscape purposes.
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Cassia fistula
Lagerstroemia thorelli
Enclosed within a secret cell I was walking by the silent path A Night Jasmine tree, I met Showering the flowers of love and verve, in abundance Touching my soul and opening my heart to the hidden mysteries of life! Influence of flowering trees Visual characteristics like size, canopy form, flower colour and texture affect the overall aesthetic quality that is displayed with tree plantation scheme. Habitat surveys and floristic and faunistic studies have shown the importance of tree cover in urban land uses such as residential areas for biodiversity. A single old tree in parks can be an important habitat for birds, bats and invertebrates. Tree crowns can provide habitat for birds and invertebrates in otherwise intensively managed and used gardens. Density of tree cover, overall extent of stands of trees and age of trees are especially important factors
influencing biodiversity. Tree pricing assumes that the tree value is based on several factors such as size, expected age, aesthetic value, location, form and other special features, that ultimately affects the value of the surrounding buildings or residential plots. Well planned landscape around building or residence adjoins aesthetic value to it as well as affix real estate value of about 20-30%. An appropriate choice of the flowering tree species and different flower colour combinations would ensure pleasing colours all around in our garden avenues and urban life. Flowers of trees are very rich in colours one can have all different kind of colour combination from the available tree species throughout year. Influence of colours on human mind and health has long been studied, wherein warm colors like red and orange are known to evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility while colors on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colors often described as calm. Further, fragrant flowering trees are also important as scientific studies have proven that specific fragrance seem to modulate moods and influence psychology. Trees provide source of natural beauty, conserve natural resources, reduce maintenance costs, preserve biological diversity and prevent species extinctions along with solving many environmental problems. Flowering Trees in Urban landscape Landscape gardening with beautiful trees is the ray of green hope in this mechanical era and the modus operandi for restoring balance with ecology in urban surroundings. Site with beautiful flowering trees bestows vitality, quality and aliveness to this expeditious and hasty mechanical like. A view of green landscape with blooming trees has soothing effect on body and mind. Besides, trees serve as food, shelter, shade, beautification, medicine, furniture, climate modification, pollution control and provide industrial raw materials. Trees are an essential feature of landscape garden, for road side planting, public parks, along railway
Landscape
Couroupita guianensis
Bauhinia purpurea
Alstonia scholaris Cochlospermum gossypium
lines, in school and colleges, government building and banks, historical and religious places and private home compounds. There exists a wide range of flowering trees for selection for various purposes. Some species like Lagerstroemia flos-reginae, jacaranda mimosaefolia, Cassia renigera, Cassia nodosa, Cassia grandis, Cassia marginata prefer more humid climate than others, and can be grown easily in heavy rainfall zone of western ghats. Some species like Cassia fistula, Cassia siamea, Peltophoraum pteroscarpum, Delonix regia, Thespesia populnea, etc, are very tolerant to stress of water and can be easily grown in low rainfall zones of Rajasthan, Kutchchh, North Gujarat, UP and MP. Flowering Trees on the basis of flower colour Selection of flowering tree species for colour combinations ensures pleasing colours all around in our gardens, avenues and countryside. Flowers of trees are very rich in different colour shades as given below: Red: Poinciana regia, Butea monosperma, Bombax ceiba, Erythrina indica, Erythrina cristagalli, Spathodea campanulata, Saraca
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Landscape indica, Cordia sebestena, Amherstia nobilis, Callistemon lanccolatus, Colvillea racemosa, Firmiana coloratea etc. Pink: Cassia renigera, C. marginata, C.grandis, C.nodosa, C.javanica, Kleinhova hospita, Gliricidia maculata, Bauhinia purpurea. Bauhinia variegate, Lagerstroemia flos-reginae, L.thorelii, Tabebuia avalandi. T.heterophylla, T.rosea, Couroupita guianensis, Chorisia speciosa, etc. Yellow: Peltophorum pterocarpum, Cassia fistula, C.siamea, C.spectabilis, Tabebuia spectabilis, Tecoma argentea, Tecomella undulata. Cochlospermum gossypium, Markhamia platycalyx, Heterophrama spp., Anthocephalus cadamba, Thespesia populnea, etc. Blue:
Jacaranda
mimosaefolia,
Solanum
macranthus, Milletia ovalifolia, arborea, Guaiacum officinal, etc.
Clitoria
White: Millingronia hortensis, Plumeria Spp., Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Mimusops elengi, Azadirachta indica, Melia azedirach, Erythrina alba, Crataea religiosa, Gustavia augusta, Bauhinia variegata Var candida, Dillenia indica. Ixora parviflora, Alstonia scholaris, Pterosoprmum acerifolium, Calophyllum inophyllum, Wrightia tinctoria, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Anthocephalus cadamba, Citharexylum quadrangulare, etc. Most of the white flowered species are scented one. Flowering trees on the basis of height Tall trees (12 to 20 m& above): Acacia auriculiformis. Grevillea robusta, Tabebuia rosea,. Millingtonia hortensis, Couroupita guinensis etc.
Medium tall trees(6 to 12 m): Cassia spp; Poinciana regia, Tecoma argentia, Peltophorum pterocaroum, Gliricidia maculata, Erythrina indica, Butea monosperma, Bauhinia spp., Pongamia glabra, Thespesia populnea, Madhuca indica, etc. Dwarf trees (4 to 6 m): Plumeria spp., Callistemon lanceolatus, Cordia sebestena. Lagerstroemia thorelii, Cochlospermum gossypium, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Wrightia tinctoria., Ixora parviflora. Bauhinia variegate, Calophyllum inophyllum, etc. Flowering trees can serve human life on this planet in various ways, besides, meeting different requirements of landscape gardening in India. People in a natural environment having flowering trees in the surroundings show improved psychological, emotional and cognitive health as revealed from different scientific
Different schemes of trees for year round flowering Sr. No.
Months Scheme of planting of Tree Species
1
May - June
Delonix regia/Capparis decidua+ Cassia fistula + Cassia renigera/C.javanica
Flower colour scheme Red + Yellow + Pink
2
July - August
Lagerstroemia speciosa + Cassia siamea/ Peltophorum
Mauve / Pink + Yellow
Anthocephalus cadmba/Acacia auriculiformis+ Cassia marginata
Yellow+Red/Brick
3
September + October
Cassia grandis + Spathodia + Acacia auriculiformis
Pink + Red + Golden Yellow
Ceiba insignis+Chorisia speciosa
White+ pink
4
November + December
Alstonia scholaris+Bauhinia variegata + Bauhinia purpurea
White + Light Mauve + Deep Mauve
5
January + February
Cocholospermum gossipium + Gliricidia + Bauhinia
Yellow + Light Pink
6
February + March
Erythrina indica/E. Variegata/Bombax ceiba+ Tecoma argentea
Red + Yellow
Bauhinia variegata+B. Variegata var. Candida Tabebuia impetiginosa + T. Aurea
Mauve+ white Pink +yellow
7
March - April
Jacaranda + Bombax cieba + Pink Cassia
Blue + Red + Pink
Grevillea robusta
Yellow
Pterospermum acerifolium+Callistemon viminalis
White+Red
Butea monosperma/Saraca asoca + Crateva adansonii
Orange + white
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Landscape
Michelia champaca
Peltophorum pterocarpum
Tecoma argentia
Chorisia speciosa
studies. Significant influence of flowers on human psyche and emotions directly induces happiness and good health and indirectly influence positive outlook and work culture. Thus, flowering trees are our true green friends bestowing upon us with in-numerable
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Spathodia campanulata
Cassia renigera
benefits ranging from pollution control, temperature regulation, restoring ecological balance to stress busting and their systematic plantation has the potential to transform this mechanized planet into a beautiful colorful aspiring green-scape. n Authors: Dr. B. N. Patel, Dean and Principal, Dr. Alka Singh, Associate Professor, Department of FLA, ACHF, Navsari Agricultural University E-mail: dralkasinghdhaka@gmail.com
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Profile
Sri Vijaya Durga Nursery A Journey from bullock cart age to Internet
O
ur Nursery was started by Sri Ravipati Suranna in 1948. Later it was named as Sri Vijaya Durga Nursery in 1962. In the earlier days we were able to cater to the needs of East Godavari only, due to lack of transportation. Now we are exporting all over India. We have had many eminent visitors to our nursery including State ministers and then Chief Minister of Chandrababu Naidu. We have received many awards and felicitations from Government of AP, Government of India and from private agencies. Reasonable pricing, quality and ability to supply in bulk quantities are our specialties... Some of our esteemed customers: ONGC, Railways, Reliance Group of Industries, ITC, Spectrum , Bambino Group, Leela Ventures (Banglore), Paper Board, GVK Industries, Vasavi Group, VMC etc.., Highlights v Vast experience
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Adinarayana Chairman
Ramakrishna Vice Chairman
Venkateswararao Managing Director
v Our nursery is on national high way v Transportation facilities available to all states of India, because our nursery is on the National Highway. v Continuous research and development v No compromise on Quality and Standards v Satisfied customers range from small nursery men to Reliance group v As a result of our continues research, we always come forward with a new variety of plants v Ready made plants are available from the age of one month to 10 years. v We can execute any size of orders with the co operation of our fellow nurseries in this region. We have more than 600 nurseries in our surrounding area Products Adeniums, Avenue Plants, Bamboo’s, Grasses, Cactus Varieties, Climbers, Ficus Varieties, Flower Plants, Fruit Plants, Indoor Plants, New Varieties, Ornamental, Palm Varieties, Passiflora etc.
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Indoor Gardening
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Nursery Business
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Event Report
P
rior to the invention of floral foam, florists used chicken wire and newspaper, clay or cedar greens as a base for floral arrangements. There is a very peculiar thing about floral artisans in India. All across India, 95% of floral artisans are Bengalis and they come from a district in West Bengal. These people work with big floral designers, decorators, florist shops or have their own shops or decoration business. Most of them are uneducated and have not even learnt floristry professionally. These are the people who are the actual users of floral foam. In India, lot of these artisans do not know that Oasis is a big brand and we are the inventors of floral foams. They call all floral foams ‘Oasis’. Smithers-Oasis is dedicated to advancing the art and science of
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— Krithika Nag floriculture through the development of innovative products. Their mission is to make products, the preferred interest of purchase in each and every floriculture and horticultural market. Through a team of dedicated professionals, they keep the current trends on important floral and horticulture, so that they can provide their customers with the highest-performing products and best service possible. When it comes to customer satisfaction and longer lasting flowers, Smithers-Oasis has been committed since day one to making sure every brick of floral foam they produce provides a healthy foundation for long-lasting arrangements. They have connected with many local florists directly to create awareness, to impart education and also to learn from them. This initiative was based on an idea
from the biggest adhesive manufacturer in India. The company’s name is Pidilite and their adhesive (Fevicol) is used while making furniture . Most of the carpenters come from the state of Bihar and this company has invested heavily in connecting with these carpenters by initially organising various helpful demonstrations. They now have design schools, forums, magazines for these carpenters as well. The brand connect is so high that Fevicol enjoys major market share and is 25% expensive than other products. The Bengali floral artisans who they had connected, generally go back to their hometowns during two major festivals – Holi and Durga Pooja. They then decided to have a get together in the first week of April, in Medinipur while they were back home for Holi. This was their very first
Event Report
event which was organised. They printed out flyers in Bengali language and put them on their cartons to announce the event and asked them to register. Excitedly, they received more than 500 calls. People were so happy that the communication was in Bengali. They had over 200 artisans and florists attending this event here. They spoke about their company and brand. Spoke about how they could help them and there was also an open forum where people could openly speak about suggestions to help in the improvement. Russel Homem, their G M Sales and Marketing, spoke about floral foam properties here. Their sales person in Kolkatta helped with the language whenever there were difficulties. Most of the attendees did understand Hindi as they had worked in other parts of India. All attendees were their target audience. The impact of the session was so tremendous that people couldn’t wait to attend the next event and they immediately created a huge emotional connect with these people. To keep the session lively and fun, they had also arranged for a lucky dip
and also for some quizzes. Prizes were distributed to the winners. This was then followed by lunch. “We always wanted to organise at least two such events in a year. However, we then got to thinking, that, if such events are to be organised in metro cities as well, then we could reach more florists, floral artisans, decorators etc,. Hence, we decided to organise our second such event in Bangalore” - Ms. Meeta Laddha, MD of Smithers - Oasis (India) Pvt Ltd. Thus, the second “Floral Utsav” was held at Dr. M.H. Marigowda Memorial Hall, Mysore Horticulture Society, Labagh. This event was conducted on the 10th of January, 2017. Here as well, there were over 150 florists, hobbyists, decorators and floral artisans. Many of their products were on display and for sale. They had got a master floral artisan who used the foam and taught and showed various
ways of floral arrangements. There were presentations which Ms. Meeta Laddha presented herself. The slides proved to be very educative and helpful for the florists who solely work with foams. In this event as well, they had arranged for a lucky dip to keep the event lively. Prizes were distributed to the winners and this was followed by the evening snacks, coffee and tea. They have informed us that, their next event would be organised in March, 2017. “Dedication to customers, quality of products and services and respect for the individual integrity and trust” - Smithers - Oasis. n
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News
Tweaking plants for fragrant flowers Plant biologists discuss method at global conference
T
he flowers in your garden could soon be attracting visitors in hordes, not only for their various hues but their heavenly scent as well. Scientists and plant biologists have tasted the first sweet whiff of success in engineering plants to produce highly scented flowers. This was one of the highlights at the ongoing international conference on ‘Micro and Metabolic Regulators in Plants’ hosted by the Rajiv Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) here. Alexander Vainstein, from the faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, said, “Petunia flowers have been
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traditionally used for their beauty and attractive colours. My experiment led to flagrant petunia flowers.” In his presentation on the topic ‘Specialised metabolic pathways: cues controlling floral scent production,’ Dr. Vainstein said, “Genetically enhanced petunia has higher floral scent compounds and pigmentation,
which can be commercially exploited. We also found that humans can distinguish the scent of genetically enhanced flowers, making it a lucrative proposition for the perfume industry.” The conference also highlighted research advances in plant biology to create wines with floral flavours. A press note quoting Dr. Vainstein said transgenic yeast had been found to be a successful agent in developing wines with unique floral flavours. Scientists from countries including the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK participated in this four-day event.
“Greenhouse project makes for a perfect wedding gift”
T
he young couple that touched the hearts of many Kenyans by holding a wedding worth just Sh100 (less than 1 USD) has received an investment project worth a million shillings (9600 USD) from a well wisher. The investment from Diamond Properties includes an eighth acre plot valued at half a million shillings with a Sh320,000 (3000 USD) greenhouse and capsicum crop in Isinya, Kajiado County. The company’s Sales and Marketing
Director Edwin Khiranga said “the management responded to the heartwarming social media story that the young couple’s wedding received”. “And this is to let you know that as you start your journey into marriage, this is an investment. You will now be farmers by extension where you will be getting at least Sh450,000 (4300 USD) returns per year,” said Khiranga while handing over the investment to Wilson Wanjohi, 27, and Ann Muhonja, 23.
Lufa Farms opens third rooftop greenhouse
T
here were two important beginnings in Mo Hage’s world last summer: In July he and his wife, Lauren Rathmell, welcomed their daughter into the world. And in June, work started on construction of the third commercial rooftop greenhouse in the burgeoning urban farming company the couple co-founded, Lufa Farms. Their daughter, Dani, is six months old. And last week Lufa Farms began to
harvest produce from that greenhouse, set atop an industrial building in Anjou. The first week brought mega-sized radishes, watercress, Persian cress, arugula and spinach from among more than 40 varieties of greens started out there as seedlings in December; this week, tatsoi, red and green bok choy, Chinese cabbage, romaine and Boston lettuce were added to the mix. Next week there will be more. The produce is sold to directly to
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News
consumers, to subscribers – Lufavores, they are called – who find it in the baskets they order online, along with produce from small family farms, almost all local, and other products including meat, cheese, baked goods, fish and prepared foods, all sourced by Lufa Farms. The year 2016 was a good one: The Lufa Farms
subscriber base grew by 50 per cent to more than 9,000 families. Hage and Rathmell, partners in life before they were business partners, had a vision: to create an ecologically — and economically — sustainable model for urban farming and to help to change the way people eat. It took the expertise of
many and the investment of $2 million from family friends and others, but in 2011 they opened what was reputed to be the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse, atop an industrial building in Ahuntsic.
Tulip season opens on January 21 with 200.000 tulips on Dam Square
O
n Saturday morning, 21 January 2017, tulip growers created the ‘Dutch Design garden’ using 200,000 tulips on Dam Square in Amsterdam. The ‘pick-your-own celebration’ on Dam Square marked the official opening of the tulip season in 2017. The 500 tulip forcing nurseries associated with the Netherlands Tulip Promotion Foundation (and member of Royal FloraHolland) provided the tulips. Along with these growers, auction staff helped to ensure that the pick-your-own tulip celebration runs smoothly. Last year the party was a great success; there was an enormous crowd of enthusiastic consumers. Together we make the world a bit more
different varieties. From bright yellow to dark purple, from lily-shaped to fringed, and from two-toned to double-bloomed. Tulip Day is an initiative of Dutch tulip growers. Together with family, friends and volunteers, they lay out the pickyour-own garden. beautiful again this year on Tulip Day. National Tulip Day Tulip Day has existed since 2012. Every year on the third Saturday in January, we celebrate the start of the new cut tulip season. Until the end of April 2017 (about 100 days) the Dutch tulip is available everywhere in over 1,000
Special events throughout the Netherlands If you cannot make it to Amsterdam, don’t worry! The start of the new tulip season is celebrated throughout the Netherlands and not just on Dam Square. Many florists are organising the National Tulip Weeks with special events planned.
Holland lilies fail to bring joy for Lahaul farmers
T
he beautiful Asiatic lilies of Holland have failed to spread fragrance of prosperity among the tribal farmers of Lahaul valley of Himachal Pradesh who
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had turned the cold desert into a valley of flowers hoping to reap a rich harvest in floriculture. With hundreds of farmers engaged
in flower production, Lahaul valley produced record flowers this year. Nearly one lakh sticks of ceb dazzle, pollyanna, brindisi and other varieties of lilies were
News
reaching Delhi from Lahaul every day until last week. Farmers spent about Rs 15 to purchase one bulb (seed), which were imported from Holland. A bulb yields one stem of flower, which was sold for Rs 5-6 in Delhi market, causing big losses to farmers. Many farmers have now abandoned their lily farms and are not selling them in markets. “My A-grade flowers were sold for Rs 6 per stem and about Rs 3 was spent on packing, handling and transportation. This way I recovered only Rs 3 after spending Rs 15 on it. This is ridiculous,” said Raj Kumar from Teling village of Lahaul, who expects a loss of Rs 80,000 from his flower cultivation. “All efforts of the horticulture department to promote floriculture in Lahaul have proved futile, because farmers were expecting a price of Rs 30 to 40 per stem,” he said. Potatoes and peas are the traditional
crops of Lahaul-Spiti, the largest district in Himachal Pradesh. Influenced by horticulture and agriculture departments, many farmers took flower cultivation as a way of earning good amount five years back. Last year too, farmers could get just around Rs 10-15 per stem. The fragrance of lilies spreads across dozens of villages including Khinang, Khangsar, Gondla, Teling, Nukar, Dalang, Robsang, Shuling and Khorpani between Khoksar and Udaipur. But improper marketing by the government and a long-chain of middle agents has proved fatal for these cultivators. A stem need to attain minimum length of 70 cm and wear at least three flowers to be in A-grade. All other short stems with fewer flowers are counted as Bgrade. Growers can take flowers till three years after sowing the bulbs but quality of flowers keep reducing every year. Lal Chand, another flower cultivator, said, “We couldn’t get reasonable price for our
quality flowers and growers are hesitating in sending the remaining B-grade flowers. I think I cannot gather courage to cultivate lilies next year.” Horticulture deputy director Sonam Angrup said all varieties of lilies from Lahaul reached the markets at one time, which caused excess market supply. “We are going to introduce bamboo sheds and structures for flower cultivators, which will bring down inner temperature to increase shelf life. This way we can increase quality of our flowers, which then can live a longer life,” he said.
Eden greenhouse coming to Dutch royal estate
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alace Soestdijk Estate in the Netherlands will soon be transformed into an experimental garden and greenhouse. Mecanoo unveiled plans for Eden Soestdijk, which will take visitors on an interactive, educational tour of several
an interactive exhibition space that will showcase the beauty of nature from different perspectives. Different chambers will allow visitors to explore the planet’s various ecosystems.
spectacular landscapes, in partnership with the Eden Soestdijk foundation, Eden Project (UK), Kossmann. dejong and Royal HaskoningDHV. The project aims to educate people on ecology and sustainability, and create
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Date of Publishing 25-26 Every Month Date of Posting 3-4 Every Month
Postal Regn. No. DL (S) - 17/3212/2015-17 R.N.I. Regn. No. 63761/96