Rain before Tihar damages marigold farming, leaves farmers disheartened

Two consecutive days of rain have damaged marigold flower farming in Siraha that had been planted for Tihar and Chhath.

As farmers in Golbazar Municipality were preparing to pick flowers and send them to market, many plants have fallen to the ground.

Manu Syangden of Golbazar-3 planted marigold on about 4 kattha of land this year.

Syangden, who has been farming flowers for about 15 to 20 years, had invested about Rs 100,000 this time with a target of earning about Rs 400,000 during the festival season.

He said he has lost both his investment and income after the rain flattened about 2,500 plants.

Rain has flattened flowers on 3 to 4 kattha out of the roughly 6 kattha planted by Rudal Nayak of Golbazar-6.

Flowers planted on about 5 kattha by Indra Kumari Lama of the same ward have also suffered major damage.

Lama, who has been farming flowers for about 10 years, had been preparing to sell flowers during Tihar and Chhath.

Separately, in Maindanda, Ramrekha, Baglung Municipality-1, marigold grown in plastic tunnels by Kamala Thapa is ready for sale this Tihar.

For about three years she has grown seasonal and off-season flowers in three tunnels and sold them to devotees visiting the nearby Kalika Temple.