As every year, the Sabdi, Mirkundi and Dighaldi areas of Bandar in Narayanganj are covered in flowers. Wherever you look there are flowers, and the whole area is one big flower garden. Visitors crowd in every day to see them, and on holidays the area is flooded with people.

Talking to farmers, it emerges that flowers are grown year-round in several areas of Narayanganj's Bandar upazila, including Dighaldi and Sabdi, but almost everyone grows them in the winter season. The flower farmers of Dighaldi and Sabdi meet much of the city's demand, and their flowers also go to other parts of the country.

About 65 hectares in Dighaldi and Sabdi villages of Bandar upazila are under gypsy, marigold, gladiolus, cherry, Japanese, chrysanthemum and other flowers. Field after field of red marigold and gladiolus is a delight to see. This year, however, less has been planted than in other years, and although the selling season has arrived, the flowers have not fully bloomed.

These flowers are used for birthdays, weddings, paying respects to the departed and home decoration. Demand is highest on days such as Basanta Baran (the welcoming of spring), Valentine's Day, Bengali and English New Year, Independence Day and International Mother Language Day. In Narayanganj, much of this demand is met by flowers from Sabdi, Dighaldi and Mukuldi in Kalagachhia union of Bandar upazila.

A visitor named Asmaul Husna said: "It feels very good to leave the noise of the city and come to this beautiful place. People should come out with their families. The place is very beautiful. Just seeing so many kinds of flowers lifts your mood."

Durjoy Barai works in the flower fields alongside his studies. He said: "Flowers have been grown moderately this year, because the monsoon water was slow to recede and the seedlings could not be planted on time. That is why the flowers have not bloomed even though it is selling time. Still, I hope we will recover our costs."

Nakul Chandra Haldar has been involved in flower farming and trade for about 40 years. "The situation is not that good this year," he said. "Because of the monsoon water, seedlings were planted two months late. If we had planted two months earlier, the flowers would have come two months earlier. Ramadan is coming, and flowers don't sell much during Ramadan. All in all, the situation is not good."

Bandar upazila agriculture officer Taslima Akter said less land was under flowers this year than last. "This is because the national days fall in Ramadan this year. There is also the matter of the parliamentary election. That is why flower farmers have grown winter vegetables this year," she said.

"This year flowers have been grown on 65 hectares in Bandar, Narayanganj. As every year, farmers have grown them with a target of selling about Tk 4 crore worth of flowers," she added.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.