Flower expo to be held from November 25

THE Agribusiness Promotion and Marketing Development Directorate (APMDD) in association with the Floriculture Association Nepal (FAN) will be holding the Seventh National Nursery Flower Competition Trade Fair from Nov 25 in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur. The three-day fair aims to promote the flower business in the country. “The trade-cum-competition is being organized in order to foster competition among private flower producers and to increase the standard of production procedures and product development,” said Hari Bahadur Tiwari, programme director at the APMDD. The event will provide an open platform for floriculturists to compete with four different varieties of flowers including intermediate, reflex, spider and miniature. The 28 stalls at the fair will be showcasing a multitude of flower types such as seasonal flowers, decorative plants, cut flowers and dry flowers. Similarly, compost fertilizers, seeds, tools, packaging materials and pesticides will be displayed at the fair. The programme has been a yearly attraction for the general public, floriculture enthusiasts and particularly the private sector. “There has been a steady increase in the number of people visiting every year,” said Rojlin Maharjan, project manager at the APMDD. More than 21,000 visitors are expected to attend the fair. The programme organizers said that much of the progress in floriculture has been made possible by the active role played by the private sector. As per the organizers, the government has also focused on promoting the sector with the aim of reducing poverty. Lila Ram Paudel, director general at the Department of Agriculture, said the trade fair was being held as per the new Flower Promotion Policy 2012. According to FAN, there are 636 flower nurseries operating in 36 districts in the country. Flowers are grown on around 120 hectares of land, and more than 40,000 families benefit from this sector. FAN’s President Lok Nath Gaire said that 20,000 people were employed in the sector with 5,000 persons being directly employed in it. In fiscal 2012- 13, Nepal imported flowers worth Rs 33.1 million while exports amounted to Rs 29.5 million