Kurukshetra: A village in Haryana is famous for cultivating flowers. Years ago, this village came up in a rugged area of Kurukshetra, where there was nothing but large stretches of barren land. Down the line, villagers not only strengthened themselves financially by hard work but made a name for themselves.
The fate of Beed Sujra village has been changed by flowers. The situation is such that villagers are presently earning crores and there is not a single jobless individual here. There is an exclusive flower market in this village, where people come from other states to buy flowers. Villagers earn their living by either growing flowers, or plucking or selling those. Unlike others, none travels outside for work in this village.
How the journey began?
Way back in 1914, people of this village were shifted from Delhi to the ravines of Haryana's Kurukshetra for airport construction project. Here, they only got land but that too was uneven and barren. But the elders of the village did not lose courage. They came together and made the land suitable for farming and soon flower cultivation started.
Rajendra Kumar Saini, a resident of Beed Suraj village said, "Earlier, we used to live in Delhi but due to construction of an airport there, we were shifted to Kurukshetra. Elders of the village came here and built houses. After this, they made the land suitable for farming. Now flowers are being cultivated on a large scale. There is not a single house in the village that does not cultivate flowers. It can be said that flower cultivation has changed the fate of the village."
Flowers generated employment for all villagers
Beed Sujra village has around 250 to 300 houses with a population of 1577. Saini said this village ranks first in cleanliness. "The farmers of the village earn lakhs of rupees annually through flower cultivation. The village has a turnover of crores of rupees every year. People here have been cultivating flowers for the last 30 years. Ever since the village started growing flowers, every house has become prosperous," he said.
Another villager, Chandramal said he has been involved in farming for the several decades. Flower cultivation has turned up as an employment avenue for villagers. Many varieties of flowers including marigold, jaffri, laddu, rose are grown here. However, marigold is cultivated the most here."
Pawan Saini, a villager who trades flowers, said, "In the beginning, people of our village had to go to Delhi or other states to sell flowers but now a flower market has been set up in the village. After this, people from across Haryana and other states come here to buy flowers. Ours is the only flower market in Haryana,"
Growing flowers is lucrative for cultivators
Villager Saini said flower cultivation is more lucrative than crops and vegetables as one gets to make a lot of savings. The water requirement in flower cultivation is less so even with underground water level depleting, farmers do not face any problem. Also, government provides incentives, he said.
Neelam, a labourer who earns his living by plucking flowers said as cultivation is done in large areas, getting regular work is not difficult in this village.
Another labourer Sonia said that instead of going anywhere else to earn money, good wages are earned by plucking flowers in their own village. All the people who work in the flower market are from this village, she added.
Flowers are cultivated here three times a year. Here, flowers are sold at Rs 30 to 40 per kg and cultivators earn a good profit in one crop of about four to five months.
The initial cost of cultivating flowers comes to about Rs 10,000 and the labour cost is another Rs 30,000 to 40,000. Thus Rs 50,000 is spent in one round of cultivation. About one acre generates an income of Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh. Farmers cultivate flowers three times in a year and 50 quintals of flowers are produced per acre at a time. Flowers are cultivated in 200 to 225 acres in this village.
