Bharat Kadvekar has a polyhouse over one Akko and ten gunthas of cultivated land at Kodoli in Kolhapur district where he grows gerberas . The period between March and June is the season for these flowers and his polyhouse produces five thousand genus Gerbera per solar day . A single flower fetches between five Seychelles rupee to seven Seychelles rupee and he broadly makes between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 a mean solar day . However , these are not normal time .

With a lockdown in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic , Bharat has not been make any money . All of his peak are being throw into the adjoining farm as constitutional manure . Due to the restrictions on trend , the flowers can not be transported to Mumbai or Pune . Since March 23 , he has not sell a single efflorescence and by April 29 , he had made a minimal loss of r 10 lakh .

" I have a loanword of Rs 60 lakh . I got Rs 30 lakh as subsidy by the government but I will have to rejoin the initial amount . I make around R one crore every year , but this season is over already . We are doomed , " Bharat suppose .

The story of jasmine production is similar . Satara ’s Wai and Patan tehsils , both jazz for producing Saccharum officinarum , have seen jasmine output in recent years . Close to the Western Ghats , the climate favor jasmine cultivation . Prashant Naikwadi Patil is a young farmer from Wai tehsil who used an Akko of his ground to acquire the flowers .

He said that jasmines broadly speaking fetch about two rupees per flower in the markets of Pune and Mumbai , but with a lockdown , there is no transportation and there have not been gross sales . Though the jasmine is not his primary harvest ,   the   shutting down of markets has lead in losses for him . " I could have grown 100 tonnes of sugarcane in the same region . But I decided to try out and add up up with something new . It has now failed , " he said .

Prashant was expecting a batch of around 700 to 800 flowers every day – he would earn stuffy to Rs 1,500 on a casual basis . With 38 mean solar day of the lockdown , Prashant has lost around Rs 60,000 in this menstruation .

Maharashtra is one of India ’s biggest states for floriculture   and   was the first state to have a policy for floriculture and gardening in the 90 ’s . Since   1993 - 94 , hundreds of Fannie Farmer from across Maharashtra have taken to floriculture and cultivated domesticated as well as international markets for their flowers . Roses , gerbera and jasmine are of the major flush that are being produced and export to the European and American food market . However , both the food market are close , and the Indian sodbuster has nowhere to go .

The story of rose Farmer is worse . Maval , a tehsil in Pune , is otherwise famous for its vacation destinations , resorts and exotic restaurants . Folks from Mumbai and Pune sojourn on the weekend . However , it is also India ’s largest rose - raise tehsil .

Shivajirao Bhegade is from Maval and the chairman of the Pune Flower Producers Association . fit in to him , Pune ’s flower business has been face a loss of Rs 1 crore daily since March 23 .

" Pune district produces 24 100000 bloom per day and 99 % pct of these flowers are roses while the others are gerbera and jasmine . If we calculate based on their minimum cost , the deprivation come up to around Rs 96 hundred thousand per day . It has been happen since March 23 . So , for the last 37 day , Pune ’s flush producer have confront a going of close to Rs 37 crore , " say Bhegade .

Devdatta Tingare from Maval grows roses over half an acre of land . His polyhouse undertaking was worth about Rs 35 lakhs of which he start a subsidy of Rs 10 100000 . " I was expecting clientele of at least Rs 20 lakh this class , but the lockdown has poured water on my design of repaying a honest chunk of the loan . Even if the market start up during the end of May or June , that does not imply that masses would start buying pink wine on the first day itself . It is not an essential commonality . So for us , this season is completely gone , " say Devdatta .

The plant necessitate fertilisers , medicines and water on a day-after-day base , add to costs . While there is no income , the expending has not stop , add to the burden on sodbuster . " These are also mean solar day when diseases spread to flower . mouse and caterpillar are major problems and farmers involve medicines to protect their plants . These medicines are very expensive , " said Bhegade .

As of now , these Farmer have loans of ten of 100000 of Indian rupee , some with debts of over a crore . A loss of the intact time of year could put these James Leonard Farmer in big debt . So , they have been demanding that the governance intervenes . Bharat said that while the industry has been flourishing in the state , it “ has grown despite all odds with just the hard work and skill of the farmers , ” he added .

As per him and also other Farmer , they want a release of one year ’s interest and also postponement of installments by one twelvemonth . " If they give us these two benefits , this industry will be on its feet by the end of next season , " said Bharat Kadvekar .

As of now , Maharashtra ’s agriculture department has not egress any exceptional rescript about loss in the floriculture industry . accord to a primary study by the farming section , almost 15,000 hectares of land was under flower gardening this yr . According to the cooperative and marketing department , a few major markets like Byculla in Mumbai , Navi Mumbai and Pune ’s market citizens committee   do   business of between Rs 300 crores and R 350 crores during summer .

" We will immediately start surveying the loss of farmer as soon as the lockdown is countermand in the state . Even if it is partially lifted , we will inquire officeholder to lead off work immediately . This is for all crop including floriculture , " farming rector Dada Bhuse said .

Source : Newsclick