KOCHI: Last year, Shaji C B watched helplessly as his marigold fields turned into a cautionary tale. Flowers bloomed in abundance, and the market was flooded. “Everyone was growing flowers,” he recalled. “Kudumbashree, self-help groups, and even residents associations were growing them. Kudumbashree units even made use of barren land to cultivate marigold. This was on top of the inflow from neighbouring states.”
The result: Prices crashed, profits wilted, and farmers like Shaji were left to lick their wounds. This Onam, however, he has scaled down drastically — just 100 marigold plants stand where rows once stretched.
He isn’t alone. Data with the agriculture department shows that land under flower cultivation in the state — largely marigold — has shrunk from 793.83 to around 724.13 hectares over the past year. Officials say last year’s glut and poor planning forced a rethink.
“Many farmers took huge losses as they were unable to sell flowers that bloomed after the Onam season. They were forced to sell at very low prices of around Rs 30-60 a kilo,” said Pramodh Madhavan, assistant director (planning) of the agriculture department.
This year, though, caution has been the buzzword. Apart from climate setbacks and a plague of African snails, farmers are diversifying to cushion risks. “Once it rains, the heads of the marigold flower droop, weighed down by rain drops. This leads to the flower heads breaking or rotting,” Pramodh explained.
To counter that, the department is pushing mixed cultivation, encouraging farmers to grow vegetables like green chilli, brinjal, or okra alongside marigold.
And farmers are listening. “A fellow farmer who grows flowers on a large area has planted okra and brinjal intermittently,” said Shaji. Sujith, another grower, confirmed the trend. “With output declining, flowers will command a better price this year. The climate, too, has been inclement this year, which has impacted the production of flowers. Vegetables, though, are doing better.”
Still, marketing remains a thorn. “Wholesalers are reluctant to buy from us since our flowers cost more compared to those arriving from neighbouring states,” Shaji said.
In Alappuzha, however, the scene looks brighter. “Flower cultivation still commands good acreage. Our office itself supplied over 60,000 saplings. Then there are private nurseries from where farmers procure saplings,” said Arun P K, district agriculture officer.
“The other varieties that are being grown this year are globe amaranth in red, white, and purple. Vegetables like snake gourd, cucumber, green chilli, okra, and ridge gourd are being grown alongside.” So, while the fields of marigold may have thinned this Onam, Kerala’s flower farmers are hedging their bets — hoping vegetables will save them from another withering season.