Marigold has traditionally been the festive flower, especially from Dussehra to Diwali. Garlands of the flower with hues of orange and yellow are hung at residences, vehicles, and establishments and, above all, play a crucial part in the rituals, bringing in an aura of festivity. This year, marigold had a business side, too, with local growers buoyed by the Swayampurna Goem concept of the State government, trying their hand at selling locally grown produce and competing with the sale of flowers imported from the neighbouring State.
There was a tinge of optimism as Goa livened up to hordes of locally-grown flowers adorned streets, roads, pavements, nooks, and corners, with vendors hoping to cash on the festive sale. The Agriculture Department's much-needed push with the slogan "vocal for local" appeared to be moving towards a grand finale, and there were reasons to believe so. The department stated that there were 25 hectares under cultivation, with 285 dedicated farmers engaging in marigold cultivation. It spoke of financial and logistical support to the farmers while expressing happiness with the harvest.
However, when D-day arrived, it proved to be an anti-climax for the local vendors as tonnes of marigold flowers made their way into Goa from the neighbouring States, their vendors flooding the market with their produce and pocketing the bulk of the sales with rock-bottom pricing. A metre-long garland was sold for as low as Rs 10 against the local pricing of Rs 40-50. The local vendors could just not match up, resulting in a drop in demand for local produce despite the talk of quality and longevity of freshness. Quality became a secondary issue as flowers from Karnataka went in full bloom.
The efforts put in by the State government, and especially the Agriculture Department, in promoting local cultivation of marigolds must be commended, but perhaps they missed a trick or two and failed to strategise marketing. The festive season of Dussehra was an acid test for the 'vocal for local' concept and needed sales strategies, keeping in mind the price mechanisms, demand and volumes.
Self-sufficiency in agricultural produce is one aspect of Swayampurna Goem mission, which is focused on locally growing a variety of agricultural produce, including flowers and vegetables and selling them. The concept can only work if there is a demand for the produce over what is procured from outside. Financially, this may not look to be a viable option given the scale of local production against that of Karnataka, but the government will have to factor in the market options so that local producers can leverage their costs. As long as Goa is unable to sort out the math, the sale of imported flowers will continue to flourish, and the local vendors will end up as helpless spectators and suffer losses.
There are lessons to be learnt in this marigold story. A lot of things have to change if self-sufficiency is the ultimate objective, and focusing on marketing strategies is as crucial as production.
