Nov. 14: Remember the scene from the
Bollywood hit Silsila, where the Big B and Rekha break into
a song amid a riot of colour somewhere in Holland? A floriculture
unit, which was inaugurated today by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath
Chatterjee off state highway 12A, can offer a similar backdrop
.A riot of colour lit up a polyhouse or greenhouse that has
nurtured 6,500 flower plants of 13 varieties.
A one of its kind in entire North Bengal,
the floriculture unit is a private initiative to cultivate
Gerbera (a variety of cut flower) commercially and invade
the flower market of Calcutta.
The Rs 25-lakh project, financed by State
Bank of India, will produce all the varieties round the year,
using imported expertise and techniques.
`The polyhouse is equipped with techniques
to water the plant in three ways — drip, mist and sprinkler.
The plants will be under a specific temperature and relative
humidity to maintain the ideal environment and conditions
throughout the year. KF bioplant, a Pune-based plant tissue
culture firm with a tie-up with Dutch firm, will look after
the flower production, and another Jaipur-based firm will
extend the technical support,` said Utpal Banerjee, owner
of Bandhunagar Agro Farms. The unit will produce varieties
like Savannah, Pink Elegance, Meriva and so on. These types
top the demand chart even in the international market and
form an essential part of most flower arrangements.
Banerjee plans to expand the unit in future,
which can open employment avenues for the local youth. `Though
during the initial period we cannot afford to engage local
workforce since it needs expertise, we will definitely hire
them once we expand,` Banerjee, who also has a multi-purpose
cold storage at Dhupguri, said.
A recent study says the export potential
of Gerberas from West Bengal is about 20,000 cut flowers per
week. |
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