Nagaland: Flower growers clock Rs 11 lakh sales at ‘Colours of Spring’

The three-day “Colours of Spring” Flower Show concluded on Saturday with total sales of Rs.11 lakh, marking the successful end of its eighth edition. The event, organised by the Dimapur District Ladies Club (DDLC) in collaboration with the Department of Horticulture and the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland, was held from February 19 to 21 at IDAN, Forest Colony, Dimapur.
The closing ceremony on February 21 was graced by retired director of Horticulture, Watienla Jamir, as special guest.
In her address, Jamir noted that DDLC had diversified beyond flower exhibitions to include seminars on horticulture and other income-generating activities, expressing confidence that such initiatives would bear fruit in the long run.
Emphasising the importance of flower shows, she said flowers foster connections and unity across cultures and social divides, describing enthusiasts as part of an “antophile” community linked through events, workshops and social media. She highlighted the symbolic value of flowers in the Bible and noted that scientific studies show flowers release chemicals that help uplift mood.
Recalling the Naga people’s long association with flowers in songs, poems and ancestral stories, Jamir described floriculture as a labour of love that has grown from a hobby into a multi-crore enterprise over the past two decades, becoming one of the fastest-growing sectors in the state. She pointed out that in commercial cut flower cultivation, the government has supported growers with poly houses, planting materials, training and market access. With more than 1,000 registered flower growers in the state, she said Nagaland’s cut flowers have earned national recognition and awards.
She stressed the need for the government to study both organised and unorganised sectors of floriculture and develop proper documentation to accurately project turnover.
She also suggested establishing dedicated flower markets with basic infrastructure for women vendors, setting up walk-in cold rooms to reduce post-harvest losses, creating tissue culture laboratories for disease-free planting materials, providing technical training including preservation methods like dry flowers and resin making, facilitating access to soft loans, and strengthening local market linkages to reduce dependence on imported planting materials.
Jamir thanked DDLC for providing recognition and a platform for growers to flourish and for nurturing what she termed a floral revolution.
DDLC president Nini Sekhose described the eighth edition as very positive. “This year’s event was more advanced and better organised. We had not anticipated so many stalls, as the planning was done in a hurry, but we were pleasantly surprised by the strong participation,” she said. She added that the club would be willing to continue organising the show if growers desired, stating that the platform was meant to support their success. She also noted that this year’s edition recorded improved outcomes compared to previous shows, with total sales reaching Rs.11 lakh.
Stall owners expressed appreciation for both the business and learning opportunities. Avi Aye, attending for the first time, described the seminar on dragon fruit cultivation as the most informative. A home nursery owner who sells plants nationwide, she hoped such shows would be held regularly. Kemhievonuo Keretsu, who secured second place in the foliage category, said sessions on floriculture, dragon fruit and mushroom farming were particularly useful, especially for her mini kitchen garden of 30 dragon fruit plants. Other participants, including Aren and Esther Jamir, also lauded the platform and informative seminars.
Earlier, a technical seminar on “Commercial Mushroom Farming: Year-Round Mushroom Cultivation” was conducted by Konger Agritech Director Dr. Sosang Longkumer. He highlighted mushroom farming as a sustainable enterprise, detailing varieties such as shiitake, button, lion’s mane, wood ear, king oyster and enoki. He noted that Nagaland produces about 600 tonnes of oyster mushrooms worth Rs.15 crore and 50 tonnes of shiitake valued at Rs.3.5 crore, while India’s per capita consumption remains around 100 grams per year, indicating significant growth potential.
The programme concluded with prize distribution across categories including foliage, perennials, cactus, succulents, euphorbia, annuals and bonsai.
A visual impact award was presented to Stall No. 17, Komuni Mao, and a special song was performed by Opangnenla. The event was moderated by DDLC secretary Akokla Aier, with invocation by vice president Achila Tarep and vote of thanks by joint secretary Hokhuli Sema.