Introduction

In India, floriculture is emerging as an important commercial crop. A lot of importance has been given to this sector due to its multiple uses, satisfying the aesthetic needs of the people, creating more employment, ensuring higher rate of returns to rural people and facilitating earning more foreign exchange. More specifically, they are being used as raw materials in the manufacture of essence, perfumes, medicines and confectioneries for direct consumption by the society.

The production of flowers is an age-old occupation. Until last decade, the growing and selling of flowers was confined to a few families. They grew a variety of flowers on the same land which were sold close to the house, as they could not survive a long journey. The situation in the last decade has however, changed. Now, different farmers are growing different flowers both for domestic market and export purposes. The flowers were, until 1960s, confined to domestic markets. These flowers are now moving long distances due to the availability of airfreight and hi-tech cooling systems.

The economic reforms and liberalisation policies introduced from 1991 and modified EXIM policies of 1995-96 and 1999-2002 have given fillip to floriculture sector. After liberalization, the Government of India identified floriculture industry as a sunrise industry and accorded it 100 per cent export-oriented status. Later, many writer shave termed this industry as “Rosy Business sector”, “a Global Concern”, “Blossoming Industry”, “Thrust Area”, “Money Spinning”, “Lucrative export-oriented sector” etc.