Declare glory lily a recognized crop, farmers urge govt

Tirupur: Glory lily farmers have urged both the state and central governments to declare the flower as a recognized crop as it would help regulate its prices, besides allowing them to pledge the crop and avail loan from the agriculture department.
Farmers also blamed the middlemen for bringing down the prices of its seeds to Rs 2,000 per kg this season from Rs 3,300 last season.
“Glory lily or Glorious superba is cultivated mostly in 12 districts in the state and the crop has high medicinal value. Its seeds are exported to various European countries. This season, the flower was cultivated in around 5,000 hectares and more than 1,200 tonne flowers were produced,” said P Lingusamy, president, Tamil Nadu Kanvali Kizhangu Vivasaigal Sangam.
As the flower fetched good prices in the previous two seasons, many farmers had cultivated the crop this season, he said. “It would cost around Rs 6-Rs 7 lakh to cultivate the flower in an acre. But this season, traders are not ready to fix the price of the seeds beyond Rs 2,000 per kg, while in the last season the produce was priced at Rs 3,300 per kg,” Lingusamy said.
Uzhavar Uzhaipalar Katchi president K Sellamuthu said the glory lily market in the country was controlled by four or five traders and they have made a syndicate to control the prices. “This is affecting the farmers. I have urged the farmers not to sell the seeds until they get good prices. We will take a collective decision after the general election results are out.”
Lingusamy said more than a decade ago, the seeds were sold at Rs 1,750 per kg. “The middlemen and traders later brought the prices down to Rs 700. The last two seasons were an exception. Once again, they are trying to bring down the prices.”
He said they had conducted the annual meeting of their association at Moolanur on Saturday. “We want the government to declare the crop as recognised crop and regulate its prices. It will also allow the famers to pledge the crop at the state agricultural department’s marketing yard and take loans.”