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Growers and sellers of rose and gerbera flowers
“Flowers have good demand all the year round in domestic as well as international market. Selling is also not tough because when farmer is in business slowly the network gets established and trade takes place in routine. Interacting with the industry people always helps in getting connected with the buyers. Ups and downs in the pricing happen in every business!” says Mr. Muni Venkatappa, floriculture farmer. He owns and manages Muni Venkatappa Farm. “We are into this business from past 15years.”
Mr. Muni Venkatappa
The farm spreads in 15 acres. It is located at Dasarapalli village, Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu. Roses and gerbera are grown in poly house. “Open cultivation is difficult when compared with poly house farming. Besides quality of flowers is much better in a poly house,” he opines.
When asked about poly house being capital intensive he clarifies, “Government gives subsidy hence it is manageable. Further the return on investment is attained in couple of years.” Once the saplings are planted rose plant yields flowers for 4 years while gerbera for 3 years.
At Muni Venkatappa Farm 6 different coloured roses are cultivated in 12 acre. These are red rose: Taj Mahal, white rose: Avalanche, light pink rose: Noblaze, yellow rose: Gold Spike, orange rose: Carvitti and some multi-colour roses also grown. The variety red rose: Taj Mahal is very popular hence dominates the production. Commonly rose quantity and quality from every plant is best for first 20 months then after the quality is reduced but quantity remains same for next two years.
To improve the yield, twice in one year pruning is must and cutting the stems. “We inspect the plant, select the stem and cut it just before 45days of bloom period. In this way the flowers produced are of good quality and quantity. We also use soluble fertilizers like calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate, magnesium sulphate, 19OL, sulphate of potash etc to enhance plant growth and flowering. We also use neem cake and millettia pinnata cake and, vermicompost,” he elaborates.
With timely pruning we get 2000-2200 flowers. “We use grafts for rose cultivation, bought at Rs. 6 each. When harvesting, we cut 50-60cms stem along with rose,” he adds. In all there are 35 thousand rose plans that collectively yields 65,000 roses/month/acre.
Gerbera is grown in 3 acre. Tissue culture saplings of gerbera are sourced from KV Bio plants. Each plants costs Rs. 35. Gerbera grown in farm has six colours namely white gerbera: Balame, red gerbera: Salvidor, yellow gerbera: Dana Yellow, orange gerbera: Goliath, dark pink gerbera: Intense and baby pink gerbera: Essmar. Amongst all maximum cultivation is of white gerbera: Balame. “We get 90,000 gerbera flowers/month/acre from 24 thousand plants,” he states. Demand of gerbera is quite good, “It is used widely in India for marriages decoration. If the flower is sold at Rs. 3.5 then it is profitable.”
Generally disease attack is less in poly houses yet as preventive measure vertimake, m-impact for miticide and trips are sprayed in rotation. “If water supply is good, the pest and diseases can be controlled to some extent,” asserts Mr. Venkatappa. Crop rotation is also must to keep the plants safe. “Once in three years we swap the cultivation area that in 3 acres we put rose while in 12 acres gerbera. The soil is ex-changed.”
Demand for flowers increase in April and May month (near Mother’s day), also from month of August export demand is also high. “We continuously dispatch our flowers for exports from November to February,” he shares.
30% of flower produced is exported to different countries through Bangalore based export house. “They pay as per the quality of flowers. Payments are done through bank transfer. In domestic market buyers come and buy from the farm itself. The agents will sell it in cities like Delhi and Coimbatore,” he states. Price in domestic market is fixed based on Bangalore market and International Auction market. “Also seeing the demand we fix the price. However we cannot abruptly increase or decrease the price for the regular customer. We will just adjust 10-20%.”
Flowers have low shelf life therefore, “We store in cold storage for 10days. The bunch is placed in buckets with water. If we have to store for more than 10days, we add ammonium sulphate to the water,” informs Mr. Venkatappa.
“Floriculture is a stable business in regard to production. Marketing and sales is fluctuating but with little thinking it is manageable. All together a good going business,” he signs off.
Contact Details:
Muni Venkatappa Farm
No. 4/32NA, Dasarapalli Village, Bagalur PO, Hosur Taluk, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu – 635 103
Phone: +91 9244550540
Email: layam2008@gmail.com
“Flowers have good demand all the year round in domestic as well as international market. Selling is also not tough because when farmer is in business slowly the network gets established and trade takes place in routine. Interacting with the industry people always helps in getting connected with the buyers. Ups and downs in the pricing happen in every business!” says Mr. Muni Venkatappa, floriculture farmer. He owns and manages Muni Venkatappa Farm. “We are into this business from past 15years.”
Mr. Muni Venkatappa
The farm spreads in 15 acres. It is located at Dasarapalli village, Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu. Roses and gerbera are grown in poly house. “Open cultivation is difficult when compared with poly house farming. Besides quality of flowers is much better in a poly house,” he opines.
When asked about poly house being capital intensive he clarifies, “Government gives subsidy hence it is manageable. Further the return on investment is attained in couple of years.” Once the saplings are planted rose plant yields flowers for 4 years while gerbera for 3 years.
At Muni Venkatappa Farm 6 different coloured roses are cultivated in 12 acre. These are red rose: Taj Mahal, white rose: Avalanche, light pink rose: Noblaze, yellow rose: Gold Spike, orange rose: Carvitti and some multi-colour roses also grown. The variety red rose: Taj Mahal is very popular hence dominates the production. Commonly rose quantity and quality from every plant is best for first 20 months then after the quality is reduced but quantity remains same for next two years.
To improve the yield, twice in one year pruning is must and cutting the stems. “We inspect the plant, select the stem and cut it just before 45days of bloom period. In this way the flowers produced are of good quality and quantity. We also use soluble fertilizers like calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate, magnesium sulphate, 19OL, sulphate of potash etc to enhance plant growth and flowering. We also use neem cake and millettia pinnata cake and, vermicompost,” he elaborates.
With timely pruning we get 2000-2200 flowers. “We use grafts for rose cultivation, bought at Rs. 6 each. When harvesting, we cut 50-60cms stem along with rose,” he adds. In all there are 35 thousand rose plans that collectively yields 65,000 roses/month/acre.
Gerbera is grown in 3 acre. Tissue culture saplings of gerbera are sourced from KV Bio plants. Each plants costs Rs. 35. Gerbera grown in farm has six colours namely white gerbera: Balame, red gerbera: Salvidor, yellow gerbera: Dana Yellow, orange gerbera: Goliath, dark pink gerbera: Intense and baby pink gerbera: Essmar. Amongst all maximum cultivation is of white gerbera: Balame. “We get 90,000 gerbera flowers/month/acre from 24 thousand plants,” he states. Demand of gerbera is quite good, “It is used widely in India for marriages decoration. If the flower is sold at Rs. 3.5 then it is profitable.”
Generally disease attack is less in poly houses yet as preventive measure vertimake, m-impact for miticide and trips are sprayed in rotation. “If water supply is good, the pest and diseases can be controlled to some extent,” asserts Mr. Venkatappa. Crop rotation is also must to keep the plants safe. “Once in three years we swap the cultivation area that in 3 acres we put rose while in 12 acres gerbera. The soil is ex-changed.”
Demand for flowers increase in April and May month (near Mother’s day), also from month of August export demand is also high. “We continuously dispatch our flowers for exports from November to February,” he shares.
30% of flower produced is exported to different countries through Bangalore based export house. “They pay as per the quality of flowers. Payments are done through bank transfer. In domestic market buyers come and buy from the farm itself. The agents will sell it in cities like Delhi and Coimbatore,” he states. Price in domestic market is fixed based on Bangalore market and International Auction market. “Also seeing the demand we fix the price. However we cannot abruptly increase or decrease the price for the regular customer. We will just adjust 10-20%.”
Flowers have low shelf life therefore, “We store in cold storage for 10days. The bunch is placed in buckets with water. If we have to store for more than 10days, we add ammonium sulphate to the water,” informs Mr. Venkatappa.
“Floriculture is a stable business in regard to production. Marketing and sales is fluctuating but with little thinking it is manageable. All together a good going business,” he signs off.
Contact Details:
Muni Venkatappa Farm
No. 4/32NA, Dasarapalli Village, Bagalur PO, Hosur Taluk, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu – 635 103
Phone: +91 9244550540
Email: layam2008@gmail.com
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