October 12: Flower businessmen are expecting transactions worth more than Rs 130 million during the upcoming Tihar festival. The Floriculture Association of Nepal says they are planning to sell 2,345,000 pieces of flowers worth Rs 130 million during the Tihar festival which is just around the corner.

The transactions of flower business are expected to grow by Rs 15.4 million this year compared to last year’s festive season. During last year, flowers worth Rs 115.6 million were sold in Tihar.

The association informed that 2 million units of garlands made of marigold flower are expected to be sold during this festival. The demand for 1.7 million such garlands will be met through domestic production while the remaining 300,000 garlands are being imported from India, says Min Bahadur Tamang, president of the Floriculture Association of Nepal.

Likewise, the association expects sale of 325,000 units of globe amaranth garlands and 20,000 units of garlands made from chrysanthemum flowers.

The wholesale price of a piece of marigold flower is Rs 55 while the garland made of globe amaranth costs Rs 35 to 40 and that of chrysanthemum flowers costs Rs 350 to Rs 400.

President  Tamang said that the domestic production of flowers was hit by the rainfall that occurred during the Dashain festival. According to him,  marigold flowers were damaged by the rainfall and the domestic production is expected to shrink this year.

However, the domestic production of marigold is still expected to increase by 10 percent this year compared to last year because the commercial farming of this particular flower has started in all seven provinces. Marigold flower is cultivated mostly in Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, Jhapa, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Dhading, Chitwan, Ilam, Dhankuta, Kailali, Banke, and Kaski districts.

Likewise, commercial farming of globe amaranth flower is done in Ichangu Narayan of Kathmandu, Gundu of Bhaktapur, Badikhel and Godavari of Lalitpur, Dhading, Palpa, Kailali and Ilam.

According to the association, the business of cultivating flowers with an investment of Rs 6 billion is done in 43 districts of Nepal. More than 700 entrepreneurs are involved in  this business which provides direct and indirect employment to 40,000 people.