KARWAR: Floriculture is becoming popular as a subsidiary occupation in Uttara Kannada district, of late. Over 270 families have taken up floriculture in Bhatkal, Sirsi, Yellapur and Siddapur taluks. Ornamental flowers such as Orchid, Gladiolus, Anthurium and Heliconia are being grown in more than 30 units, each covering 100x200 metre area. The flourishing floriculture units in the district indicate that floriculture can be one of the major farming activity here.Interestingly, a West Bengal-based firm Florena-Flora has set up a poly house covering an area of two acres on Banavasi Road at Sirsi now. Nearly 20 farmers in and around Banavasi have floated a society called Canflora to market the flowers in Goa, Bangalore and Pune Virupaksha Gowda, a farmer from Banavasi, has been growing Chrysanthemum (Sevantige) flowers in floriculture acres of his land. A farmer in Mundgod taluk has been growing red roses exclusively. Nearly 200 families of Bhatkal taluk are engaged in growing Bhatkal jasmine in 50 acres of land. Shankar Hegde Bhaskarmane, a farmer of Mensi village in Sirsi taluk, is receiving national award since the last two years for his flower garden.According to Deputy Director of Horticulture H R Nayak, the climatic condition and the soil in the four taluks in Uttara Kannada are ideal for floriculture. The government has now proposed to provide marketing facility for these farmers at Sirsi at a cost of `2 crore, he said. “The floriculturists get the subsidy also from the government,” he added.The department has organised an exhibition of fruits and flowers at Sirsi on February 28 and 29 to encourage the farmers to take up floriculture in a big way.
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