Five farmers earning bumper profits from flower farming

Commercial farming of flowers (floriculture) is increasing across India.  The growing demand for ornamental plants and flowers in events, interior landscaping and gardening, and government incentives for exports have given a huge push to floriculture in India. 

The government has recognized floriculture as a rapidly growing industry and granted it 100 percent export-oriented status. As a result, floriculture has become a significant sector within agriculture and many farmers are shifting from traditional food crops to flowers.

The Indian floriculture market size was Rs 26,210 crore in 2023 and is expected to reach Rs 71,460 crore by 2032, according to market research firm IMARC Group. 

The possible floriculture options for farmers in India include cultivating cut flowers (harvested with a long stem like gladiolus), loose flowers (like marigolds, harvested without stem), seed production of flowering plants, and setting up ornamental nurseries.

Commercial floriculture has evolved into a high-tech activity as flowers are typically grown in climate-controlled greenhouses with a focus on exports. According to official data, there are over 300 export-oriented floriculture units in India, with the major production areas being Bengaluru, Pune, New Delhi, and Hyderabad. The countries where flowers are exported include Holland, Germany, U.K. and Japan.

Apart from export potential, new seed policies have also allowed the import of planting materials for international flower varieties. As a result, many entrepreneurs are now importing seeds and plants like orchids, planting them in nurseries, and selling them at good rates.

Some of the major floricultural crops in India include roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, gerbera, gladiolus, gypsophila, liatris, nerine, orchids, archilea, anthurium, tulips, and lilies.  Flowers are versatile and can be sold in fresh and dry forms. 

Since flowers sell at high rates, commercial floriculture has a higher profit potential per unit area than many traditional field crops, making it an attractive business option. The result is that many farmers are either entering floriculture or shifting away from traditional crops like wheat and paddy due to the high profitability of flower farming.

Here are five farmers earning high profits from flower farming:

1. Arup Kumar Ghosh, West Bengal

After working at a florist shop in Hyderabad’s Gudimalkapur Flower Market, Arup went to Thailand to learn about producing high-quality marigold seeds. He returned home in Kolaghat, West Bengal and while working with some local flower shops, he took 0.25 acre of land on lease. There, he planted marigold saplings and there was no looking back.

Passionate about flower farming, he now sells 1200kg of marigold seeds and 2.5 crore saplings across India every season. His annual turnover is Rs4 crore and the business is growing rapidly.

More about Arup here: How this 32-year-old college dropout set up a Rs 4-crore marigold nursery business

2. Sabira Mohammed, Kerala

Sabira began flower cultivation on her terrace in Palakkad, Kerala as a hobby. She began her gardening journey with potted flowers like jasmine and anthurium and started collecting flower plants from all over India.

As her garden flourished, she ventured into orchid plantation. She now imports plants from imports plants from Thailand, China, and other countries and sells across India. Her Pearl Orchid Nursery clocks Rs 4 lakh in revenues per month.  

Here’s her story: How this homemaker set up a profitable orchid nursery business; and earns Rs4 lakh monthly

3. Abhinav Singh, Uttar Pradesh

Abhinav Singh from Chilbila village of Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district gave up his plush job with Microsoft to start Gerbera farming in his village. The aim was to be close to his parents and create local employment.

The Gerbera plant is perennial and its flowers witness high demand in Uttar Pradesh, especially during the wedding season when it is sourced from Pune. Abhinav sourced Gerbera plants from Pune and created a polyhouse of 4,000 square meters (about an acre) of land in his village as the flower needs a controlled environment.

He now earns Rs2 lakh monthly and provides direct and indirect employment in his village.

Here’s Abhinav’s story: Engineer leaves high-paying job at Microsoft for Gerbera farming; creates jobs in his village

4. Rubeena Tabassum, Jammu and Kashmir

Rubeen began a cut flower business in 2006. It was a new concept in Jammu and Kashmir at that time. Cut flowers are cut from the plant with some stem and leaf, and are used for decoration.

She then took a barren land on lease. Due to low fertility, the land was not used for agriculture. But lavender can flourish in low-fertility soil. So she went for lavender plantation and subsequent extraction of aromatic oil. 

The successful entrepreneur now sells aromatic oils and other products, clocking Rs 1 crore in annual revenues.

Her story is here: Kashmiri woman turns barren land into lavender farm; clocks Rs1 crore annual revenues

5. Gurwinder Singh Sohi, Punjab:

Gurwinder began flower cultivation in 2008, replacing his family’s wheat and paddy farming in Nanowal village, Punjab. He learned that the Punjab Horticulture Department was subsidising seeds of Holland gladiolus flowers and thought of trying out flower farming. 

He has created a profitable floriculture model involving the sale of flowers and their seeds across India and abroad. He earns a profit of Rs 3 lakh per acre.

Here’s his story: How this Punjab farmer became a flower millionaire

(US Anu is a Madurai-based writer. She specialises in stories around human interest, environment and art and culture.)

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