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Florists want flower trade to become thriving industry

* Say business suffering due to absence of proper transport system, flowers wither before reaching markets
* Cultivator says profession could have large pay-offs if modern technology utilised
* Nursery manager says February, March ideal for growing several varieties of foreign flowers

Staff Report

LAHORE: Floral industry is one of the major industries in many countries, and Pakistan can also generate a lot of revenue by increasing the export of flowers, if it is conducted along modern lines, florists and floriculturists have said.

Seasonal flowers are blooming everywhere with the commencing of spring and many are of export quality. Florists have said they have been suffering because there is no system to transport the flowers safely, and the flowers wither while being taken to or brought from distant areas. They said that florists in Europe earned huge profits and flowers grown there had attained the status of an industry in Holland.

The flowers being grown in Lahore cater to only 20 percent of the demand, they said, adding that tonnes of flowers were being brought to the city’s flower markets everyday, largely from Pattoki. They said flowers were also brought from Sargodha and Hyderabad.

Technology: Javed, a cultivator, said his family had been in the profession for generations, adding that it could become a high-paying profession if a proper transportation system, based on modern technology to preserve flowers while being taken to other destinations, was introduced.

He said florists sent their product to big cities in trucks and trains and had to face the crunch, as flowers did not remain fresh when they reached their destinations. He said many flower shops and nurseries in Lahore were situated along the wastewater drains, which showed the senseless attitude towards the business. He said amateurs bought seeds or stems of various flowers and grew them at their set-ups near filthy places.

Season: Nursery owners said the sale of seeds increased in spring. Muhammad Hanfi, a nursery manager in Gulberg, said flowers bloomed during February and March, which was the ideal season for flower growing. He said a bouquet could range between Rs 500 and Rs 20,000, adding that Rosemary, Lilies, Salvia and Gladiolus were the most demanded flowers these days.

He said the seeds were imported, but the flowers grew here quite well. He said Roses were an all-time favourite and people always bought seeds for them. He said rose cutting were also in high demand during the season.

A Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) spokesman said the authority had provided the florists with places in the city to sell their products.

Situated on the Main Boulevard (Gulberg), the Floral Sale Point is the place where florists from various cities come to sell their products and retailers in the city buy flowers.

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