Punjab government is finalizing necessary arrangements for lunching a well-knitted plan for the promotion and development of rose farms for producing top quality grafted roses across Punjab. Punjab and other parts of the country naturally possess a great potential for producing quality roses due to rich local soil providing ideal agronomic conditions for the production of flowers.
Official sources told Business Recorder on Sunday that currently low quality roses were being cultivated and sold in domestic market as well as exported to Middle Eastern countries from Pakistan. The concept of this proposed plan was to promote floriculture and produce high quality grafted roses for enhancing the radius of export to European countries. Under the plan special attention would be focused on cultivating red roses keeping in view the global demand especially European countries.
Punjab Agriculture department intends to provide general information about the opportunity for investors in the floriculture sector to develop farms of roses for supply in local market. Provincial Agriculture department was extending guidance to the growers for cultivation of Hybrid Tea Rose in their fields and increase income many fold. All possible support and information to the investors in preparing seed rose farms and enabling them to export rose flowers to European countries. The rose farms could be established near international airports to ensure timely export to onward destinations.
Growing flowers especially roses, is a very profitable business if done properly on commercial basis while demand of cut flowers, especially roses, is growing tremendously as people are becoming aware of the beauty of flowers as decorative item.
It is high time that business community of Sialkot should take drastic steps for initiating the floriculture project in this export oriented city and hub of cottage industry and add new sector in the exports of Sialkot. The prompt and on time action will not only help increase the export volume but also generate employment opportunities in the area. Sialkot produces quality rice, wheat, sunflower, pulses and potato crops and fulfils the demands of rest of the country as well as environmentally fit for the cultivation of roses.