Traditional farmers cultivating roses on acres of lands in Chakoria in Chattogram are gradually losing interest in the face of availability of cheaper artificial flowers made of plastic and fabrics. It may be mentioned that the association of roses with Indian history goes back to the very beginning of Mughal time. It was brought to the subcontinent by Emperor Babar from Samarkand, now a city in south-eastern Uzbekistan. Also the Mughals introduced rose to Bengal and it became instantly popular with flower lovers. Since then rose was cultivated extensively by the locals in Bengal. Gradually with commercial production many families earned their living selling roses.
Handed down for generations, traditional rose farmers who belong to a dedicated community of master gardeners in three unions of Chakoria, have demanded government support for their existence. Once a flourishing business, rose cultivation have shrunk in terms of areas as well as in numbers of farmers.
Only a few years ago a bunch of one hundred rose buds would fetch between Tk 1000 and Tk 1200 which now dropped to less than Tk 700. Many of the family members are switching to other professions abandoning their passion for rose cultivation. No longer profitable, the land they use for rose cultivation cannot be used for any other crops as the soil is said to be blessed for cultivation of such quality of roses which are in high demands across greater Chattogram especially for weddings and social ceremonies.
Chakoria is well reputed for commercial rose cultivation and daily rose transaction even reached Tk 20 lakh which earned the farmers fame. There were time when farmers were paid in advance to deliver customized floral decorations but due to availability of plastic and fabric made flowers potential customers now tend to prefer such cheaper artificial flowers.
Hundreds of farmers who now survive on rose farming appeal to the government for state sponsorship to keep the natural splendor (rose farming) alive. There are still dedicated commercial farmers who wish to keep alive their time-honored business. Plastic and Silk flowers are a great alternative to fresh flowers. Today's allergy-friendly artificial flowers are created with the true realistic look and feel of a damp petal. With no wilting, no watering, and at a fraction of the cost of fresh, realistic fake flowers can be enjoyed hassle-free all year.
