KATHMANDU: Farmers in Palpa are seeing increased interest in commercial marigold farming as they report strong earnings during the Tihar festival. The surge in demand has kept growers busy harvesting flowers and preparing garlands.

Dil Bahadur Thapa and Lal Bahadur Thapa, who have been farming marigolds alongside vegetables in Rampur Municipality-4 for eight years, noted that the government’s ban on imported Indian flowers has secured the market for local produce. Dil Bahadur estimates earnings of over Rs 300,000 from two ropanis of land. With high demand, they are selling flowers directly from the garden at Rs 500 per kilogram. Farmers are confident that the produce will not go to waste, as the wedding season in Mangsir will follow the festival.

Damodar Gharti, a farmer in Mathagadhi Rural Municipality-2, has cultivated marigolds on four ropanis of land. He is supplying his produce to local markets, as well as to Tansen and Butwal, with projected earnings of Rs 150,000 to Rs 200,000. Similarly, Gyan Prasad Bhandari of Rampur-10 expects to earn over Rs 200,000 from his two-ropani plot, noting that buyers from neighboring Syangja district are also visiting his farm. Padam Gaire, who cultivated five ropanis in Tansen-7, expects to earn between Rs 200,000 and Rs 250,000.

According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center, marigolds have been planted on 4.5 hectares and globe amaranth on 0.5 hectares in Palpa this year. The office estimates a total revenue of Rs 7.74 million from the flower trade across the district, including areas such as Rampur, Tansen, Mathagadhi, Rainadevi Chhahara, Bagnaskali, Purbakhola, and Tinau. Center Chief Amita Pandey stated that the office has been providing technical support and assistance in seed selection to encourage commercial cultivation.