PIMPRI: Flower growers in Maval taluka have braced themselves for securing maximum and best quality rose production for the forthcoming Valentine’s Day celebrations.

Cashing in on the growing popularity of the Valentine’s Day celebrations, the floriculture industry has flourished in Maval taluka in the recent past. Valentine’s Day festivities is the peak season for these flower producing farmers.

Pune District Flower Producers Association President Shivaji Bhegde told Sakal Times that flowers are produced on nearly 2.500 to 3.000 acres of land in Maval taluka in Pune district.

Significantly, Maval taluka has 70 per cent share in the rose production in the country and therefore, the taluka also leads in the country in rose export, Bhegde said.

Bhegde said that last year, around 75 lakh roses were exported from Maval taluka. Each flower had then fetched price of Rs 12, he added.

Most of the farmers export their roses through companies like Orion Flora and Soex Flora.

The flowers need to be harvested and packaged a few days before the Valentine’s Day, falling on February 14, to reach to their destinations. The farmers start exporting their roses from January 22 and the last consignment is sent on February 9.

The rose producers, however, need to take utmost precautions to maintain the high quality of flowers to cope up with the competition from other parts of the world. Changes in weather also have a great impact on the quality and yield of the flowers.

The recent rise in temperature has advanced rose production and this may result into less yield in export period, The reduction in rose production will, fetch higher prices for flowers abroad and in local markets, said Talegaon Floriculture Park Flower Producers Cooperative Society’s Secretary Malhar Dhole.