As a pandemic infested future looks gloomy, floriculturists are opening up their greenhouses to let in cattle to graze through their once coveted export quality cut flowers that put Hosur on the country’s map of flower exporting regions. Farmers are destroying their crops instead of bearing the costs of harvests for a market unlikely to exist post the COVID-19 lockdown. We anticipate an extended period of lull when lockdown is lifted, says Bala Siva Prasad, president of Hosur Small Farmers Association. “Without marriages, public gatherings, hotels, tourism getaways that enabled flower production, floriculture cannot survive.”
Flower growers see only a third of their revenue during Valentine season’s export and domestic sales. But, half of its revenue comes during April and May, coinciding with Valarpirai Muhurtams and vacation with focus on the hotel industry. “The revenue we make now helps us sail through the months of Aadi (July-August) , Purataasi (September-October), when sales is less. That is why, interest moratorium by six months still will not help, because we will not recover during that season,” says Harish Babu, who has 10 acres of Gerbera and Rose in greenhouses in Bagalur.
“We have permanent labour in the farm. But if the field is destroyed, to raise it all over again would cost ₹10 to ₹ 15 lakh per acre,” Babu says. Yet, he has let cattle into some of his greenhouses.
Hosur has over 2,000 acres under green house cultivation and 5,000 acres as open field cultivation spread across Bagalur, Berigai, Kelamangalam and Thally. When the lockdown is lifted, there will be no infrastructure to start production as there will be no quality supplies, says Mr. Prasad. About 1,800 nurseries supply to farmers in Hosur. Since the lockdown, the nurseries with 50 to 60 days of planting cycle lost their production cycle without inputs.
Assurances of procurement of flowers for the perfume industry does not account for the volume of the flowers cultivated. “Madurai jasmine was sold to the perfume companies directly at ₹120 a kg. But, now the requirement is only 5 tonnes and is procured at ₹60 a kg. Similarly, colour extraction units that depend on flowers like Marigold require less than 300 kg, while the production in Hosur is 10 tonnes. Also, the price is ₹ 6 to ₹8 a kg,” says Mr.Prasad.
The input costs have become untenable for the farmers. The standing expenses of labour, chemical fertilizers, electricity, varies from flowers per acre. For Gerbera, Rose,Chrysanthemum, and carnations, the costs for an acre a day are ₹ 3,500, ₹4,500, ₹6,000 and ₹5,000 respectively. “An average cost per acre of Gerbera plantation is ₹55 lakh per month,” says Mr. Prasad. The sector provides direct employment to 20,000 workers and ancillary employment for 25,000 workers . For now, farmers want the government to provide maintenance costs and grant input costs; scale down horticulture term loan interest to 7 %; waiver of jewel loans against farm credit across agricultural sector.
In Hosur, Bagalur, Thally, some farmers are converting their farms from cut flowers to vegetables.
