Gujarat's roses pale and wiltin Japan's twin tragedies

AHMEDABAD: Rose exporters in Gujarat were expecting good business in wake of the Japanese tradition of Ohigan, which falls during the third week of March. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan have struck a blow to Gujarat's exporters.
Japanese use a lot of flowers to celebrate Ohigan. Every year during this period, India exports nearly three million stems to Japan - 0.8 million stems go from Gujarat, says Praveen Sharma, president, Indian Society of Floriculture Professionals.
"Due to the twin tragedies, there is expected to be a 70 per cent drop in exports to Japan as compared to last year," said Sharma.
Tokyo`s Narita and Haneda airports are currently being used only for emergency services like medical supply.
At least five shipments of Gujarat-based exporters have been cancelled due to the disaster, said Ankur Desai, floriculture consultant, adding that looking at the scale of tragedy exports would not be possible for at least next six months.
Gujarat's annual export to Japan is nearly 60 lakh stems, but it may go down this year as radiation threat is still looming on Japan, according to him.
"Japan is the largest buyer of roses produced in Gujarat, especially in Surat, Navsari, Tapi and Valsad districts. Of the total exports from Gujarat, over 75 per cent goes to Japan," said Nimesh Bachakaniwala, rose exporter, whose three consignments to Japan were cancelled.
nother Gujarat-based grower Snehal Patel couldn't send his consignment. However, Patel only exports 20 per cent of his production to Japan.
There are nearly 70 rose growers in various parts of Gujarat. Due to subvention in nethouses, cultivation of flowers in Gujarat has almost doubled to 150 acres in last four years, said Gujarat's deputy director of horticulture CM Patel.