VALPOI
Marigold cultivation on fallow land in Pali, Sattari, is flourishing, with yellow and orange flowers adding colour to the area and offering farmers an additional source of income during the festive season.
Farmers Balasaheb Desai and Dipraj Sawant adopted a different approach by timing their cultivation to ensure flowers were available during Ganesh Chaturthi, instead of targeting only Dussehra and Diwali, when marigold demand traditionally peaks.
Their experiment proved successful, with the plantation producing a good quantity of flowers that were sold during Ganesh Chaturthi. With Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali approaching, the farmers expect demand to increase further.
Desai said specialised training or extensive education was not necessary for marigold cultivation, provided farmers had basic knowledge and planned the crop properly.
“Even ordinary farmers can cultivate marigolds and obtain good yields with basic knowledge and proper planning. Having adequate information about water availability, soil, suitable seedlings, planting time and necessary crop management is important,” he said.
Desai said they decided to bring fallow land in Pali under cultivation and initially took up marigold farming as an experiment. The seedlings were brought from the Belagavi region and planted in a planned manner, with particular attention to irrigation and crop management.
“The results have been positive, and the plants are currently producing a large number of flowers,” he said.
Sawant said around 400 plants in the plantation are currently blooming well. He said proper timing, selection of seedlings and crop management helped them produce flowers during Ganesh Chaturthi, allowing them to successfully access the market.
The growers are now confident of selling a substantial quantity during Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali, when marigolds are in high demand for religious ceremonies, worship, temple festivals, household decorations and public programmes.
Marigold cultivation is already undertaken in several parts of Sattari. However, farmers generally plan their crop to coincide with Dussehra and Diwali. The Pali farmers’ experiment demonstrates that cultivation can be timed differently to target other festivals.
Farmers believe the crop has potential in several parts of Sattari. With proper planning and adequate water availability, marigold cultivation can be staggered to ensure flowers are available during different festive periods, allowing farmers to make better use of fallow land and access markets beyond a single season.
