TIRUVANNAMALAI: COVID-19 spread has withered the dreams of floriculturists in Arcot region who were expecting a good business with temple festivals and functions lined up this season.Tiruvannamalai floriculturists are forced to throw away their flowers as markets remain closed due to the lockdown. One of the major buyers, Bengaluru market, has shut its doors to Tiruvannamalai flower growers.
“We are not able to send flowers to the local market or Bengaluru. We have no other option but to throw them away,” said G Ramesh, a farmer in Valvidanthangal.
He has cultivated flowers such as jasmine, rose and tuberose (‘sampangi’) on two and a half acres of land.
Floriculturists are left in the lurch as customers in Bengaluru are not taking the flowers. However, the cultivators have to engage workers already hired for plucking flowers even though they cannot sell the flowers.
“We have to engage the workers because if they are not given work, they will not return once the situation eases,” another farmer said.
When the matter was taken up with Collector KS Kandasamy, he arranged for selling jasmine to a perfume factory in Melchengam. However, they had to sell them at a throwaway price.
In Tiruvannamalai district, jasmine is being cultivated on 100 acres and tuberose on 2,000 acres. About 2,000 farmers are engaged in growing flowers, according to Deputy Director of Horticulture Kumaravel. He said steps are being taken to arrange local flower markets.