Flower auction centre in Udupi yet to be used one year hence

Flower auction centre in Udupi yet to be used one year hence

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Dec 11, 2015 :  Although it is a year since the flower auction centre, constructed at a cost of Rs. 2.29 crore, has been ready here, it has found no takers among the flower growers in Udupi district. Wrong assessment about the need for such a centre appears to be the reason behind the  useless building.

The centre, constructed under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, has 16 outlets to sell flowers on the ground floor, two farmers’ rest rooms, office of the Assistant Horticulture Director, a staff office, a mini hall on the first floor and a guest room.

As per the original plan, the centre was intended to serve flower growers of Udupi and neighbouring districts. Since the neighbouring districts had their own arrangements, the Department of Horticulture turned its attention to the flower growers of Udupi district.

The ‘Udupi mallige’ or jasmine, grown in 295 hectares in Shankarpura and neighbouring villages in the district, enjoys the Geographical Indication tag.

The annual production of Udupi mallige is about 2,200 tonnes and the annual turnover is Rs. 27 crore.

But here, the department hit another roadblock. The flower growers of Shankarpura and nearby villages have their own network of collecting the tied jasmine flowers. The agents collect the tied flowers, fix the market rate, and distribute it to the towns in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. The growers get a good price for it.

“The growers are reluctant to shift to the centre, despite cold storage and other facilities offered to them,” said an official of the Department.

But Ramakrishna Sharma, president of Shankarpura Jasmine Growers Association, said that the existing system was functioning well for the growers. “Why should we go to Udupi to sell flowers, when it is collected at our doorsteps?” he said.

New proposal :  With the result, the department submitted a new proposal to the Directorate of Horticulture, which intends to convert the Flowers Auction Centre to a Farm Service Centre, with primacy to flower growers.

As per the proposal, one or more outlets at the Centre could be rented out to APMC, HOPCOMS, CAMPCO, farmer organisations, flower growers organisations, and to firms renting out farm equipment and selling insecticides and pesticides.  “We want to make the centre a one-shop stop for farmers and flower growers, where they can get all facilities under one roof,” K.A. Vijaykumar, Deputy Director of Horticulture, said.