It is bloom time for gerbera cultivator in the plains

Vagaries of the monsoon, pest attack and low price for the produce have been taking a heavy toll on farmers. Even after facing several problems farmers prefer to grow only the regular crop varieties such as paddy, vegetables and sugarcane, as very few are adventurous enough to try and raise new crops.

One such young farmer, Mr. P. Elango (31 years of age) of Avinashi taluka of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu has been able to break out of this chain of growing sugarcane and paddy in his ancestral land and has been successful in growing cut flower variety named gerbera in his 24 cent land (about 1000 sq.mt).

Cut flower has always been considered to be a crop of hilly regions, where the cool climate favours their luxurious growth. But Mr. Elango has broken this myth.