Flower farmers in Tanahun District are grappling with a combination of market and environmental challenges as the Tihar festival approaches, raising concerns about income sustainability and crop losses. Despite heightened demand for marigolds during the festive season, producers are uncertain about securing fair prices amid shifting weather patterns and a fragmented supply chain.
Farmers report that unusual rainfall during the typically dry winter harvest period is causing damage to flowers just as they reach maturity, undermining both crop quality and market value. Additionally, the lack of direct access to consumers has allowed intermediaries to dominate pricing, resulting in a significant disparity between the rates paid to growers and those charged to buyers.
A collective of 23 women marigold growers in Chhimliswara, Myagde Rural Municipality-4, exemplifies these difficulties. Members of the Chandeshwari Fruit and Vegetable Producers' Group cultivate flowers on roughly 8,700 square meters (16 ropanis) but face challenges in obtaining adequate compensation for their labor. The group’s chairperson, Jitmaya Rana, stated that while farmers receive approximately Rs. 300 per kilogram for their marigolds, the flowers subsequently retail for between Rs. 800 and Rs. 1,000 per kilogram in local markets.
“We work hard to grow the flowers, but we do not receive a fair price when it comes to selling them,” Rana said, highlighting the uneven distribution of profits that middlemen capture. She added that despite a seasonal spike in marigold demand, the absence of assured market channels threatens farmers’ ability to recoup production costs.
Beyond market issues, farmers face difficulties in preserving flower quality post-harvest, as excessive rainfall can deteriorate the blooms and limit storage options. Changes in weather patterns have introduced unpredictability, traditionally a dry season has increasingly experienced rain, compounding risks to both crop yield and farm income.
Local government officials acknowledge these challenges and have taken steps to support flower farming initiatives. Myagde Rural Municipality Chairperson Shri Prasad Shrestha noted that the municipality has implemented policies to increase the procurement and use of locally grown flowers for its own programs and festivals. This strategy aims to bolster market demand and improve earnings for local growers.
Shrestha identified group-based commercial flower farming activities in several wards, including Chhimliswara (Ward No. 4), Dharapani (Ward No. 5), and individual cultivation in Ward No. 6 under Santosh Shrestha. These efforts, which began last year with assistance from the rural municipality and agricultural experts, seek to establish a more sustainable flower farming sector in the region despite existing environmental and economic hurdles.