Floriculture wilts as temperatures soar, water scarcity adds to misery

Floriculture wilts as temperatures soar, water scarcity adds to misery.
However, this summer being extra harsh, export activities have taken a hit.
According to data available with the Union Ministry of Agriculture, the total value of the floriculture business has come down from Rs 460.76 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 306.95 crore in 2015-16.
Karnataka accounts for a large portion of the floriculture business in the country with a total cultivated area of 30,900 hectares, followed by Tamil Nadu which has a cultivated area of 55,000 hectares of floriculture.
The bud size of the flowers have become small because of the heat and, hence, cannot be exported.
While previously Karnataka used to cater to the demand for roses in Australia and New Zealand, this market, too, has come down because of the quality of produce having gone down, said Anne Ramesh, member of International Flower Auction Bangalore and president of South India Florist Association.
The number of roses exported by us every month stand at nothing less than 1.5 million pieces.
However, at the moment, it is not more than 10,000,” she said.
Owing to drought and the climate change, over the past two years, production has been affected a lot,” said Sharath Hittalamane, retired additional director of horticulture.
Due to water scarcity, production has almost come to a standstill, he said.

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