Modern flower market to come up at Berhampur

Flower growers in the state have reason to rejoice. The floriculture industry is likely to get a boost with the government's decision to set up a modern flower market at Ambapua, on the outskirts of Berhampur, to provide organized marketing facilities to flower growers. The foundation stone for the proposed market was laid by Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi. The flower market, which will come up on an area of about one acre, is pegged to cost around Rs 2.35 crore and will have all required modern facilities for e-auction of flowers and a cool chamber for preservation of the products for several hours.  Of the total outlay for the project, Rs 1.62-crore would be provided under the centrally sponsored Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) while the remaining amount would be given by the Regulating Market Cooperative Society (RMCS), Digapahandi, official sources said. "The market will benefit not only the flower growers in Ganjam district, but also those in southern Orissa districts like Kandhamal and Koraput, where flowers are cultivated in most areas throughout the years," Panigrahi said, after laying the foundation stone. The proposed market is expected to be functional in the next six to nine months, informed Ajit Mishra, the sub-collector of Berhampur and also the chairman of the Digapahandi RMCS.

The flower growers will bring their products to the market where they can preserve them in the cool chamber till the e-auction. Facilities like yards for packing, distribution and receiving will also be available at the proposed market. "Flower growers selling their produce here will get remunerative prices through a central e-auction," said A S Varma, the general secretary of the Ganjam DistrictFlower Growers Association. Until now, flower growers have been selling their produce directly to vendors without any auction. "Since there is no organized market facility where growers can get remunerative prices, the farmers of Ganjam have not shown much interest in flower cultivation," Panigrahi said. Around 5,000 farmers grow different varieties of flowers on around 300 hectare in the district. 

Source: Times of India