Nursery farmers in Kadiyam of East Godavari district created a unique Independence Day tribute by using 85,000 plants to form a large representation of ‘Vande Mataram’ at Palla Venkanna Nursery. The initiative was aimed at highlighting the patriotic significance of ‘Vande Mataram’ and its 150-year legacy while helping the younger generation connect with the song’s historical importance. Nursery farmer Sathibabu led the initiative, with farmers working for nearly a week to complete the plant-based display. The plants were carefully arranged to form the letters, turning the nursery into an Independence Day attraction. Young farmers P. Venkatesh and Vinay said the…
Author: EcoMatrix Intelligence
A trip to the local nursery has a way of turning into an impulse purchase, a pretty flowering vine here, a lush green groundcover there, all picked up without much thought beyond how good it’ll look in the garden. What most buyers don’t realise is that several genuinely popular, widely available nursery plants come with a real environmental cost, spreading aggressively beyond where they’re planted, choking out native species, or quietly taking over water bodies and forest land across India. Nurseries rarely mention this on the price tag. Here are five plants worth thinking twice about before you add them…
Farmers and floriculture stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir have urged the government to formulate a dedicated and comprehensive policy for commercial floriculture, saying the sector has significant potential to generate employment, promote entrepreneurship and enhance rural incomes. Tajinder Singh Wazir, Member, J&K Kisan Board for Development of Kisans, said the government’s focus on developing floriculture parks under Smart City projects was welcome, but stressed that commercial floriculture requires sustained institutional support through a well-defined policy. The farmers called for measures covering working capital, interest subsidies, crop insurance, European-pattern protected cultivation, post-harvest infrastructure and organised marketing support to make floriculture commercially viable for…
What if a single acre could generate a steady stream of income instead of forcing a farmer to wait months for one harvest? In Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district, farmer Arjun Sabale has built a flower-farming model around that idea, growing roses and gerberas inside a naturally ventilated polyhouse. According to 30Stades, Sabale earns around Rs 12,000–13,000 a day from the two crops, while his monthly turnover is above Rs 3.5 lakh and his reported net profit is nearly Rs 2.5 lakh. Scroll down to find more details. How did a Maharashtra farmer turn one-fourth acre into a flower business? Sabale grew…
From illuminated roundabouts and floral displays to freshly landscaped roads and BRICS-themed signages, central Delhi has been given a makeover as the national capital hosts the BRICS Summit. Officials said decorative lighting has been installed at several locations, including Patel Chowk, Windsor Place, Mandi House, Teen Murti, Lok Kalyan Metro Station and the PMO roundabout. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has also installed LED signages carrying the BRICS Summit logo and put up summit-themed posters on street-light poles along important routes. The civic body has stepped up beautification, lighting and horticultural works across its jurisdiction, with a focus on…
For Vesalu Puro, farming was something she grew up with. It was also something she returned to after seven years as a contractual employee of the Nagaland government. Today, the flowers she once grew as a hobby have become a commercial enterprise spread across 1.5 hectares in Phek district. Born into a farming family in Phek, which shares a border with Myanmar, Vesalu grew up in the land of the Chakhesang Naga tribe, known for its natural bounty and organic vegetables. After completing her post-graduation in social work from Pune, she joined the Land Resources Department in 2013 as a…
Surinder Sud Regardless of India being the world’s second-largest producer of flowers, and the government proclaiming floriculture a 100 per cent export-oriented sunrise sector, the country’s share in the global flower market is dismally meagre. In 2023-24, India exported just 19,678 tonnes of floricultural products, worth ₹717.83 crore ($86.63 million). It amounts to merely 0.6 per cent of international trade in flowers. Besides, the bulk of the shipments generally comprise roses, lilies, carnations, and chrysanthemums. The export potential of other flowers, including some rare types of orchids and many exquisite native flowers, remains undertapped. So is the case with processed…
The traditional agricultural landscape of the Bani region in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district is witnessing a shift towards modern horticulture, with an increasing number of farmers adopting high-density apple cultivation to improve their livelihoods. In the high-altitude region, orchards are now home to advanced high-density apple varieties, reflecting a gradual transition from conventional farming to commercial fruit cultivation. The change has been supported by government initiatives and technical assistance from the Department of Horticulture. Local farmer Kartar Singh said he adopted advanced apple varieties with support from government welfare schemes aimed at promoting modern farming practices. “I have made…
India’s horticulture production in 2023-24 as per the first advanced estimate will be around 355 million tonne, almost at the same level as the previous year, said the government recently. Production in 2022-23 was 355.48 million tonnes. Within this, vegetables production in 2023-24 is estimated to be around 209.39 million tonnes, which was 1.5 per cent less than the previous year while fruits production is estimated to be around 112.08 million tonnes which was 1.7 per cent more than the previous year. The production of vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin, tapioca, tomato and banana, and mango in fruits will increase…
Horticulture has emerged as one of the key growth engines of Indian agriculture. The production of fruit, vegetables, and other horticultural crops has consistently outstripped that of food grains ever since 2011-12. This agricultural year, 2024-25 (July to June), the output of horticultural products is projected at 362 million tonnes, which is nearly 10 per cent higher than the anticipated food grain output of 331 million tonnes, though the land under horticulture is merely one-fourth of that under grain crops. Besides, annual growth in horticultural production has been around 8 per cent, against nearly 4 per cent in the case…