Malayinkeezhu: Flowers of many hues are an integral part of the Onam festival, which falls later this month. While Thovala and other places in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu were the main sources of flowers till last year, farmers in Kerala are ready to meet a significant share of the demand this year.
Among the main areas where flower cultivation has taken place this year is Karode, near Vilappilsala, in Thiruvananthapuram district. Currently, orange and yellow varieties of chrysanthemum on five acres are ready for harvest here.
The flowers present a stunning sight with the colourful field surrounded by trees and hills.
In total, flower cultivation took place on 17 acres of land spread over five panchayats in Nemom block this year. The inspiration for flower cultivation was the ‘Nammude Onam Nammude Pookkal’ (Our flowers for our Onam) project of I B Satheesh, the Member of the Legislative Assembly representing Kattakkada in Thiruvananthapuram.
The cultivation was led by land owners M Manoj and M Sadiq, young farmer Ramesh B Kumar and workers enrolled with the employment guarantee scheme.
Necessary support was given by Agricultural Officer C V Jayadas, Nemom Block, Vilappil Panchayat and Krishi Bhavan. Block president S K Preeja and panchayat president Lilly Mohan also provided assistance.
The flower harvest at Karode was inaugurated by Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Wednesday.
