THE market demand of floriculture products is growing fast. The worldwide trade is estimated at $50 billion with more than 10 countries dominating the business. There is a constant increase in its acreage under various flower crops.
In the last few years, many institutions are getting involved in boosting the floriculture, particularly by exporting cut flowers. The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has asked the Lahore Development Authority to build registered export collecting sheds. The University of Agriculture, Faisalabad is in the process of developing a technology through which year-round production of roses under greenhouse conditions could be possible. And the Punjab government has initiated construction of cold storages.
The EPB is collecting details on Pakistani floricultural products’ export. According to the EPB, during July-1999-00, Pakistan exported 26,000kg cut flowers/buds and earned $32,000. In 2001-01, the flower export was of 82,000kg valued at 0000000$1,17,800.
Cut flower production has now become a fast-paced and capital-intensive business requiring latest technology and good management. The country can benefit from the new trend in cut flowers production set by the European growers. They have established collaborative production programmes in natural growing regions in other countries.
The export potential of any country depends on the availability of a strong and well-developed domestic market. Therefore, development of a domestic market is necessary to increase export potentials by making available good-quality seed, planting materials, technical know-how, the credit, the training of farmers, capital assistance and creation of infrastructural facilities.
There are vast potentials for development of the floriculture industry because of following positive factors:
* Climatic conditions are ideal for flower production during October to April.
* Cheap labour.
* Lower cost of inputs like water, fertilizer, pesticides, etc.
* Industry’s ability to earn 10 to 15 times more foreign exchange.
* Geographic location for being a treasure house of tropical and temperate plants, particularly roses, bulbous flowers and orchids.
But there are many snags retarding the rapid progress of the industry. By understanding the challenging opportunity and existing weaknesses, a strategy should be evolved and implemented for the development of floriculture as suggested here:
* To identify suitable varieties which are preferred in domestic and international markets.
* To provide working capital through special scheme with low interest rates.
* To provide supporting information system covering marketing information, production information system and an administrative information system.
* To improve the cooperation and linkages among related institutions like universities, ministry of agriculture, local government and banking.
* To improve linkages between farmer/village unit cooperative and private companies.
* To encourage promotion through participation in the trade shows in the country and abroad.
For boosting the floriculture export, Pakistan should go in for potential export items like cut flowers, dry flowers, seeds, potted plants and micro-propagated plantlets. For boosting export of floriculture and intensive mobilization of resources, the following strategies should be undertaken:
* Creation of appropriate infrastructure for production, post-harvest handling and transportation of floricultural products.
* Identifying ideal locations for producing export quality floricultural products.
* Establishment of appropriate marketing/distribution channels.
* Abolition of import duty on inputs.
* Reducing air freight.
* Provision of loans at low rates of interest to help the entrepreneurs built up infrastructure.
* Incentives for the flower growers to boost the industry.
* Appropriate training of floricultural personnel.
* Problem-oriented research and development.
With an improvement in the quality of planting material, infrastructure, training programmes in production, harvesting and post-harvest management techniques, backed by adequate marketing support, there is ample scope for even small and marginal entrepreneurs to exploit the global demand of flowers.
A scientific approach could take Pakistan forward to international flower trade. For competing in world market, private sector will have to work in collaboration with the government to achieve maximum benefits and to earn a valuable foreign exchange.