Chetan Singh Jouramajra, Minister of Horticulture & Food Processing, claimed his administration was the first to grant a Rs 14,000 per acre subsidy to flower producers and promised many more such programmes to boost floriculture in the state.
"Our family has been growing flowers since 1997. On 16 acres, we prepare flower seed. Because there is no flower market in Punjab, we have been exporting seeds to other nations. In addition to providing much-needed financial assistance to flower growers, the state government should take significant steps to develop a market for flowers," said Jasvir Singh of Lohadbadi village.
Some flower producers say they are constantly afraid of losing their hard-earned crop if the government does not provide appropriate assistance. They said that rain and rising temperatures would harm their crop in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
"Every prior government has overlooked flower growers. The current AAP government is the first to provide us with subsidies. We beg that the government provide us with the necessary equipment and other assistance," said Gurdeep Singh, who has been cultivating flowers and exporting seed for the past 35 years.
According to flower farmers, the per-acre cultivation input cost ranges between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000, depending on the species of flowers.
On Monday, Jouramajra claimed the AAP government would take steps to boost flower production in Punjab while visiting a flower field in Niamatpur village, Malerkotla district.
