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Promoting floriculture
By Dr S M Alam
June 13, 2011: FLORICULTURE is fast emerging as a profitable
venture and the country is also earning a sizable foreign
exchange by exporting roses to Middle East and European
countries.
The local production of cut flowers is estimated at about
10,000-12,000 tons per annum. Roses are popular crop for
both domestic and commercial cut flowers. They are harvested
and cut when in bud and held in refrigerated conditions
until ready for display at their point of sale.
Both local and grafted roses are grown in all the four
provinces of the country, but Punjab has lion’s share in
production of grafted roses and supply to all the cities of
the country.
Roses may be grown in any well-drained soil with optimum
sunlight. Most rose varieties are grown by budding on lower
portion of a plant and propagated from seeds or cuttings.
Clay soils, warm temperatures are always preferred, and the
rose plants grow best when not set among other plants. Cow
manure is the preferred fertilizer for rose cultivation, but
other organic fertilisers, especially composts, are also
used.
Rose plants usually require severe pruning, which must be
adapted to the intended use of the flowers. Pattoki, a small
town about 80-km south of Lahore, has emerged as a leading
home for cut flower floriculture technology. More than one
million pieces of cut flowers are sent daily from this town
to all the major cities of the country. The availability of
flowers and ornamental plants has recently increased with
change in crop production priorities and rise in living
standards. The availability of pick flowers of red rose in
use since ages for garlands has increased manifold.
Additionally, cut flowers for flowers arrangements have
sprung up in market due to demand pull by the local
consumers.
The demand for long stem roses, tube roses, gladioli has
tremendously increased. In order to explain the cultivation
of these plants, import of quality hybrid flower seeds and
planting material may be allowed free of duty to promote
production of quality leading to export. The small items of
machinery and shading nets to be used by the flowers and
ornamental plant nurseries should be exempted from the levy
of duty.
Roses are best known as ornamental plants grown for their
flowers in the garden and sometimes indoors. They have been
also used for commercial perfumery and commercial cut flower
crops. Some are used as landscape plants, for hedging and
for other utilitarian purposes such as game cover. They also
have minor medicinal uses. The majority of ornamental roses
are selected hybrids. A few, mostly species roses are grown
for scented foliage, ornamental thorns or for their
ornamental fruit.
Rose perfumes are made from attar of roses or rose oil,
which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by
steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. An associated
product is rose water which is used for cooking, cosmetics,
medicine and in religious practices. Rose water made as a
byproduct of rose oil production, is widely used in Asian
and Middle Eastern cuisine. The French are known for their
rose syrup, most commonly made from an extract of rose
petals.
By observing the rapid growth in cut flower export, this
business can become Pakistan’s second largest export sector
after textile if the government encourages the cut flower
growers by facilitating them to provide better technology in
the year round production, refrigerated transportation and
exploring more foreign markets.
The world trade of cut flowers runs in billion of dollars
and Holland serves as the centre of cut flower business.
The cut flowers trade is tremendously increasing due to its
demand worldwide. The cut flowers importing countries are:
Australia, Denmark, Dubai, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia,
South Africa, Syria, Turkey, U.S.A. and United Kingdom and
the major suppliers are Colombia, Ecuador, India, Israel,
Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Courtesy: The DAWN
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Pakissan.com;
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