Ayodhya to get UP’s first Centre of Excellence for flowers

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh govt will establish state’s first ‘Centre of Excellence’ for flowers in Ayodhya. The project will come up in the Pirkhauli region, over three hectares of land at a cost of Rs 2 crore.

The centre is aimed at not only serving as a hub for providing technical assistance to farmers growing flowers, but also ensure a continuous supply of high-quality flowers to Shri Ram temple.

The temple requires a substantial quantity of flowers daily for its rituals and worship ceremonies. Through this centre, high-quality flowers will become available locally, thereby reducing dependence on imports.

Anoop Kumar Chaturvedi, deputy director, Horticulture, said that the centre will promote modern floriculture practices. Here, farmers will receive comprehensive training covering advanced flower varieties, scientific cultivation methods, pest management, irrigation systems and marketing strategies.

The centre will feature cultivation of several rare and popular flower species, including high-quality varieties of Dutch roses and marigolds.

“Construction work for the centre is set to commence shortly. Following this model, similar centres will also be established in Mathura and Varanasi, thereby creating a new network for flower production across the state,” Chaturvedi said.

The project will boost awareness regarding floriculture among local farmers. Currently, many farmers rely on traditional crops. However, through this centre, they will be able to adopt floriculture and generate better incomes.

The horticulture department is spearheading the development of the project. The centre will be equipped with modern facilities, including greenhouses, drip irrigation systems, solar power infrastructure and a tissue culture laboratory.