Marigold flowers blooming early before Tihar worry farmers

With Tihar still about two weeks away, farmers in Jhapa and Tanahun are worried about saving their marigold flowers and finding a market, as the flowers have already bloomed.

The Chandeshwari Fruit and Vegetable Farmers' Group in Chimliswara, Myagde Rural Municipality-4, Tanahun, which grows marigold commercially, has seen its flowers bloom fully even before Dashain. According to the group's chairperson, Jitmaya Rana, after earning more than Rs 400,000 from 6 ropanis of cultivation last year, the group has expanded cultivation to 16 ropanis this year, both collectively and individually. Rana said there is hope of selling the produce if flowers are not imported from India this year as they were last year.

Besides Myagde in Tanahun, commercial marigold farming is also done in Aanbukhaireni Rural Municipality and Shuklagandaki, Bhimad and Byas municipalities.

In Jhapa, however, fearing that rain will spoil the flowers, farmers have intensified picking flowers, stringing garlands and storing them in cold stores. Binod Rijal, manager of Krishi Compass in Buddhashanti-3, said he has been picking flowers every three days and storing them at Royal Cold Store in Birtamod. The import of flowers from India, along with the rain, has also added to the challenges local farmers face in the market. Farmers in Birtamod have submitted an eight-point memorandum to the Chief District Officer demanding protection for domestic flowers.