Turning Green into Gold by value addition in Horti-Business

The agriculture dates back to the era when man learnt to live in huts and cultivated plants which were used for his food, shelter, medicine and clothing. The world agriculture has grown up to highly mature, sophisticated and mechanized. In Pakistan agriculture is in developing stage. About 70% of the population is directly or indirectly related to Agriculture. Most of the farmers of our country are small land holder for agriculture but they are still affiliated with the conventional and traditional agriculture techniques and strategies hence net return from agriculture produce is low.
The farmers utilize huge amount resources, energy and money but functionality in agriculture business is not achieved. Further more market prices of agricultural inputs are touching the climax; hence the poor farmers are unable to purchase the good quality seed, fertilizers, pesticides and machinery. The solution of all these problems is that we should shift our farming from traditional to modern agriculture with updated techniques, practices and strategies. There may be gradual shifting from monoculture to multicropping farming pattern in which conventional crops can be grown along with modern crops keeping in view the local and world market demand. We can go for horticultural crops like cut roses, roses having essential oils, tunnel farming and commercial fruit production. Our mangoes and citrus are one of the best produce of the world but there is need of proper sanitation, post harvest management and marketing system.

A wide range of climatic conditions exist in plan and hilly areas of Pakistan which favors the cultivation of almost all kind of flowers of tropical and temperate region. The demand of the cut flowers in Europe rises when they have to grow flowers in green houses in severe winter but at that time here in Pakistan is favorable season for growth. Further more we have competitive advantage of cheap labor and low cost oil production as labor and farm mechanization is very high in Europe. Floriculture crops including Cut roses, gladiolus, tube rose, narcissus, tulip and others bulbs can be grown commercially for local and international market. These high value crops are demanded all over the world for there aesthetic and medicinal value.

Other important products of floriculture are essential oils and attars which are demanded for medicine, cosmetics and perfume industry all over the world. For attar production fragrant flowers are subjected to distillation, solvent extraction in which benzene or petroleum ether are used and newly introduced super critical carbon dioxide fluid extraction. Essential oils and rose water can be extracted by modern and conventional plants; however the efficiency of these plants may vary.

Currently various extraction plants are under operation in Institute of Horticultural sciences, UAF on trial basis like Shoxlet apparatus, steam distillation, solvent extraction. Here is the need to fulfill the gap between farming community and researchers to flourish this profitable floriculture base industry.
The amount and international market rate of some important essential oil is given in the table below.

Name of Specie Oil contents (%) Price/Kg
Rosa danacena 0.07% $14000
Rosa centifolia 0.06% $9400
Jasminum grandiflorum 0.07% $9350
Jasminum sambac 0.04% $ 8600
Tube rose 0.06% $7450
Murva 0.06% $ 7000

The Comparison of expenses and profit of conventional (Wheat etc) and non conventional crop (Rose)
1- Roses in Green House
Cost of one plant of rose = Rs. 20
Plants per acre in the green house = 15000
Total cost of plants =20x 15000= Rs. 300000
Cost of Green house construction = Rs. 40, 00000
Average life of Green house = 40 years
Annual cost of green house = Rs.100000
Labor cost @ Rs. 2 / Plant = Rs.30000
Running Cost
(Electricity, Fertilizers, Pesticides) = Rs. 3, 00000/ year
Total Cost during 1st year
Cost of plants+ Cost of green house/year+ Labour charges+ Running Cost = Rs.750000
Profit during 1st year = Rs. 750000- Rs.73, 0000
= Rs. 20000
Investment during 2nd year = Rs. 100000+Rs. 30000+Rs. 370000
(Green house Cost+ Labour+ Running Cost) = Rs. 500000
Total No. of flowers produced in 2nd year = 6,00000
Income = Rs. 2.5 x 600000 flowers
= Rs. 1500000
Net Profit in 2nd year = Rs. 1500000- Rs.500000
= Rs, 10, 00000
Note: Profit/year from 2nd to 8th year will be same
2- Conventional System of Wheat-Rice Rotation for one year
Net Profit/Acre from Wheat for six months = Rs. 20000
Net Profit/Acre from Rice for six months = Rs 25,000
So it is obvious from the feasibility of conventional and floriculture crops that cultivation of floriculture crops may boost up yield and net profit per acre.

About Author: Muhammad Nadeem is Working as Assistant professor of Floriculture and landscaping. He is also running a private firm "LandMarks Landscape" dealing in landscape business in Pakistan.