Give a rose this Valentine?s Day to Tanflora, the Tamil Nadu flower company that gladdens millions of hearts across the globe, with made-in-India roses. This is a joint venture between the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) and MNA Associates, sourcing flowers from the gardens of Hosur, very close to Bangalore. It offers a viable, sustainable, and profitable model for agro-exports. Actually executing what others just declare from boardrooms, conference platforms and seminar halls, this model is workable for tradeable commodities across the country?vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, meat, organical products, handicrafts, handlooms, etc.
Hosur has a mixed climate of very hot days and cool nights?ideal for exotic roses. Having identified this location, Tanflora invited landowner-partners to spare at least two hectares of fallow land for its experiment, investing Rs 50 lakh and raising bank loans to add up to Rs 1.5 crore. Net returns were anticipated from the third or fourth year. In 2005, 25 adventurers signed on and their expectations are now nearing reality. Loans are being cleared. Rose production has risen from 1.40m in 2006-07 to 11m the next year, and 30m in 2008-09. Exports have risen from Rs 8 crore in 2007-08 to Rs 16 crore. Next year, if current trends continue, annual gains per farmer are expected to be Rs 40 lakh/ 5 acres.
With the state government?s support, world-class common infrastructure was built for all aspects of the process, from cultivation to packaging. The entire supply chain was streamlined, from the farm to the airport and then to global market places. International breeders in Holland, Germany, France and the US were approached for licenses for a variety of roses. In 2008, Tanflora won exclusive rights to the brilliantly coloured Tajmahal, about a million of which have already reached Europe, Australia, Japan, the Gulf and Indian metros. In 2010, the company will market the Kohinoor, a new pink rose bought from a Holland breeder. Tanflora plans to add a new colour to its bouquet every year, all with Indian names. There is no reason why other agri-product exporters cannot follow Tanflora to world markets.
joseph.vackayil@expressindia.com
