Jhapa : Farmers involved in the commercial cultivation of marigold flowers in the district find themselves in a state of concern as an oversupply of the floral produce coupled with imports from India has led to a lack of market demand.

Post the Tihar and Chhath festivals, the surplus marigold flowers are now wilting in the fields, causing distress among farmers.

Dal Bahadur Adhikari, a farmer from Birtamod municipality-9, had ambitiously expanded his marigold cultivation to over one bigha of land. Anticipating a successful venture after making profits from a 10 kattha land cultivation last year, Adhikari's optimism has been met with disappointment as the increased investment failed to yield substantial returns.

Adhikari shared the challenges faced by local farmers, citing that Indian-imported marigold flowers dominated the market during the Tihar festival. Contrary to expectations that marigold flowers, including paper garlands, would not be imported, the reality proved otherwise. Massive imports overshadowed locally produced flowers, affecting sales.

Cultivating a species of marigold flower obtained from Calcutta resulted in good production for Adhikari, but the lack of market accessibility led to significant losses in his business. Despite substantial advertising efforts, including mobile vans with public announcements and displays, the flowers struggled to find buyers.

Adhikari, who had initially hoped to sell flowers worth half a million rupees, only managed to generate Rs 70,000, falling far short of the expected return. His investment, exceeding Rs 100,000, faced a considerable setback.

Reports indicate that the transaction value of marigold flowers during Tihar in the district amounted to Rs 10 million, with colorful lights contributing Rs 100 million. However, the flourishing illegal import of flowers from India has adversely impacted the local market.

Local traders revealed that a kilogram of marigold flowers is currently being sold at Rs 25, reflecting the challenging market conditions for the domestically cultivated produce.