Flower sales during this year’s Tihar festival reached Rs 500 million, with the Kathmandu Valley recording the highest consumption. According to Dilip Bade, President of the Floriculture Association Nepal, sales this year were similar to those of the previous year. The average price of a single flower garland this year was around Rs 100.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) played a key role in streamlining flower sales by designating 46 specific locations for Nepali flower farmers to sell their products. Bade highlighted that this organization of sales points made the process easier for both sellers and consumers.
While the demand for flowers grows by 15 to 20 percent annually, local production increases by only about 10 percent. Despite the self-sufficiency in marigold and Godawari flowers, the country still needs to import chrysanthemums and red roses from India to meet the full demand, said Bade.
Floriculture in Nepal has expanded to 52 districts, including the three districts in the Kathmandu Valley, as well as Kaski, Chitwan, Makwanpur, Kavrepalanchok, Gulmi, Palpa, Dhading, and Morang. Currently, flowers from 450 different varieties are being commercially produced in the country, benefiting over 44,000 people. There are 1,184 flower entrepreneurs cultivating flowers across 221 hectares of land.
