February 12: The government has banned the import of stem roses from abroad on the eve of Valentine's Day. 
The Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development issued a notice on Thursday and directed its subordinate offices in border areas not to issue import permits for stem roses.
The centre issued the notice after the ministry decided to ban import of roses. The ban will remain in force until another notice, says the centre.
Chief of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center Sabitri Baral argued that the import has been stopped for the time being due to the risk of plant diseases. She said that such a decision was taken upon the recommendation of experts. 
She said that the notice has been issued to 15 customs offices in border areas of Nepal with India and China.
People  involved in the flower business say that the government’s decision to ban import of roses will hit the consumers hard.
Sushil Khadka, who is involved in flower business, says this will cause the price of flowers to skyrocket during the Valentine’s Day.
Earlier, it was estimated that 168,000 stem rose alone would be consumed in the Kathmandu Valley while 112,000 stem roses will be consumed in the cities outside the valley. Last year, on the occasion of Valentine’s Day, 277,000 stem roses were traded in Nepal.
However, the last-minute ban this year will affect the business hard as the orders were placed much before the government’s decision, say businessmen.
According to Min Bahadur Tamang, president of the Nepal Floriculture Association, domestic production is able to meet only 7 percent of the total market demand for roses this time.