Around 7,500 chrysanthemums cultivated in Chandrashekar's one-acre farm were in full bloom when he destroyed them following a price slump.
Published Sep 30, 2023 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 30, 2023 | 12:00 PM
Farmer Chandrashekar destroying his flower farm
The chrysanthemums in full bloom on his one-acre farm at Dummi village in Karnataka’s Hassan district became a liability for Chandrasekhar.
On Saturday last, 23 September, he took out a tractor with a rotatory mower, and destroyed the seventhige — or chrysanthemums — plants after realising that the harvest would not bring him any profit.
The 45-year-old farmer has 12 acres of agricultural land at Dummi, some 10 km from Arakulgud. He has been cultivating green chillies, potatoes, and cabbage on 11 acres, and chrysanthemums on one acre.
Chandrasekhar started floriculture five-six years ago and has been so far reaping a decent profit. However, he ran into bad news this Ganesha festival season when florists in the Arakulgud market told him that the flowers would fetch him only ₹10 per garland.
“The merchants and middlemen who buy these flowers from farmers like me for ₹10 per garland, transport them to Bengaluru and sell them for ₹80 to ₹85 per garland. I could earn a profit only if I could sell flowers for a garland at least at a rate of ₹40 to ₹45. Otherwise, it is a total loss,” he told South First.
Chandrashekhar at his farm in Arakalgudu. (Supplied)
Chandrashekar said the price now being offered would not even cover the production cost. He said he could plant 7,000 to 7,500 chrysanthemum saplings in an acre.
Each sapling would cost him ₹2.50. He has to shell out money for fertilisers, and 10 cans of pesticides and other sprays. He has been farming chrysanthemums in two batches a year.
“Flower-pluckers and garland-makers have to be hired for ₹400 per person a day, and each garland would cost ₹5. For making 100 garlands, I will have to hire at least six to eight workers, and they have to be provided with breakfast and lunch. Once the garlands are made, they are taken to the Arakulgud market the same night and merchants would fix a rate and purchase them in bulk,” Chandrashekar said, adding that he could make a decent profit only if he got ₹50 per piece.
During the Vara Mahalakshmi festival, Chandrashekar sold garlands for ₹30 to ₹35 apiece. However, during the Ganesha festival, the flower merchants told him that they could purchase his garlands only for ₹10 each.
Chandrashekhar destroying his flowers. (Supplied)
“When the entire farm is in bloom, we hire a proportionate number of workers and make around 500 garlands. These 500 garlands are taken to the flower market and sold to merchants. However this time, as the pricing of the garland came down to ₹10, I decided to put an end to sevanthige farming, since I might incur a loss of ₹70,000 to ₹80,000,” he said.
Chandrashekar said his case was not an aberration.
“There are several other floriculturists in Arakulgudu who are facing the same problem. The traders, transporters and middlemen get the money and the farmers, who toil in the soil get very less. We are not part of any flower market association that would help us,” he added.
The man is now planning to grow some other crop on his one acre.
