25th Flora Expo generates transactions worth over Rs 10 million

KATHMANDU, MARCH 18: The 25th Flora Expo organized in the federal capital from March 14-17 recorded transactions exceeding Rs 10.05 million, surpassing the target of Rs 10 million. The festival, jointly organized by the Floriculture Association Nepal and Floriculture Development Centre, attracted 49,100 visitors, according to Association Chair Min Bahadur Tamang. The festival featured varied stalls: 60 commercial, three landscaping, eight official, one competitive, and one eatery store.

Entrance fees were set at Rs 150 per head for general attendees and Rs 100 for students. The event’s theme was “Flora Business for a Clean Environment and Economic Prosperity.” Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Jwala Kumari Shah, visited the Expo last Saturday, pledging to address policy issues related to the flora business. Despite increasing domestic demand for flowers in Nepal, particularly during the Tihar festival, the country still imports from India to meet its needs.

Currently, floriculture is practised in 43 districts across the country, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kaski, Chitwan, Makwanpur, Kavrepalanchowk, Gulmi, Palpa, Dhadhing, and Morang. Commercial production encompasses 450 varieties of flowers, cultivated on around 157 hectares of land. The initiation of the floriculture business in Nepal dates back to 2007 BS. Nepal reportedly records annual floriculture transactions of around Rs 3.07 billion.