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| - By S Jafar Naqvi |
THANKS to the progress of commercial floriculture in the country, India boasts of quality manpower. African countries, in particular, are engaging the Indian expertise in developing flower farms and in exporting floral products to Europe and elsewhere. Take developed countries. They find local floriculture managers so costly to hire that they are a white elephant. Indian managers are an attractive option and they have sound technical knowledge to back up as well. Raj Kumar Mirakhur, floriculture consultant in Pune, drives the point home: "Many promoters of floriculture projects abroad now prefer to have Indian technocrats to Europeans, not only because of the cost but their full-time involvement in the project." "Currently, I am in Ethiopia working for a big project. Yes, we have so many Indians colleagues and friends working for Preesman and other companies here. India is now known for floriculturists export in floriculture world", said Gian Chauhan, Preesman India.
As one who developed Uganda's first floriculture project with Dutch and Israeli technologists years ago, Praveen Sharma, CEO of Pune-based Flora Consultant, says the Indian managers have endeared themselves after several success stories in Africa. One reason why Indians fare so well in foreign soil is attributed to the varying climatic conditions back home and their experience in battling exacting local demands
Thanks to their effort, India in recent years has emerged as a serious floriculture player. Greenhouses today are a regular feature of the local industry. Production of flowers is now a part of Indian agriculture economy and high quality flowers are grown in many states across India. In a regular annual event, the country hosts an International Flora Expo - it has become a platform in which to showcase what this country has to offer and the world to know the potential of this mega market in South Asia for flowers and plants, equipment and technology. At home, the advent of commercial floriculture has provided quality employment to skilled as well as unskilled manpower in rural areas - women in particular. This blooming sector has also created a lot of jobs for its people, and entrepreneurs have come up, big and small, everywhere - in the form of florists, marriage arrangers, wholesalers, etc. To bring in more and more people into this sector, this magazine has taken up the cause of including subjects like floriculture, greenhouse production and the like as part of the academic curriculum in schools
"My Farm manager is also an Indian, he is a good guy... but Indians are not so cheap,"
With the rising demand for Indians floriculture professionals placement companies have also noticed its business potential. Recently launched www.FloriJobs.com claims to be exclusive floriculture placement agency connecting Indian horticulturists to world market.
"Our participation in the 4th International Flora Expo 2008 in Delhi established our company as the most welknown professional support group for flower industry said Talees Rizvi, CEO of florijobs.com. "We are also preparing a data base for floriculture professionals that will act as a single window for all placement needs in coming years from production to retailing" he added. Already, floriculture is an attractive source of income for all stakeholders through exports. Indians residing abroad send flowers to their near and dear ones back home to boost the florist income. Then there is the interesting development of export of Indian Floriculture Expertise to other nations, where required. There are Indian floriculturists, quite a number, working with world's prominent breeders, propagators, growers and traders.
Again, more and more Indian people - growers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders - take part in flower exhibitions abroad, reports a Floriculture Today team. In recent years, the team visited over 17 exhibitions in countries like Holland (HortiFair), Germany (IPM), Singapore, China, Dubai, Australia, France, Hong Kong, Pakistan, South Africa, Japan and Malaysia.
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Gian Chauhan, CEO Preesmen
India with M B Naqvi
at Hortifair Holland |
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Tsegaye Ababe,
Chairman of Ethiopian
Horticulture Producers
Exporters Association |
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| Sidharth Biswas at Preesman sall in Hortifair Holland |
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| Mr. Lengare, Vegpro, Kenya |
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| Indian Floriculturists in
Euthopia |
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Says the team report, "During our visits, we saw a large number of Indian people including flower lovers in these exhibitions. Talking to them, we realized Indians are becoming an important part of global floriculture, even though the country's own share in global trade is still miniscule.
"Notably, some Indians, NRIs and People of Indian Origin (PIO) now own large farms abroad - some as big as over 20 hectares in Kenya. Among them are Ravi Goel at Neha International(Ethiopia), Avinash Mokhate, working for Preesman(Ecuador), Mr. Wandekar - Kili Flora (Tanzania), Gian Chauhan, Preesman India, Mohan Choudhary at Zena Roses (Kenya), Sidharth Biswas at Preesman (Kenya), Ashok Bhujbal at J J Kothari Floriculture (Ethiopia). Mr. Lengare, Vegpro, (Kenya), Sharad Patil and Mr. Kori are owners of over 20 hectares farms in Kenya apart from Mava Nursery, supplying plants to others. "This way Indian floriculturists are not only earning forex for their country; they are also creating an Indian brand through their skills and professionalism.
"In the early 90's, Indians faced many initial problems of commercial floriculture but happily these problems and the way they faced the problems have stood them in good stead. A major slump in greenhouse production saw poorly planned units crash, and managers and workers associated with these farms found it difficult to find alternative employment. "As the saying goes, 'Necessity is the Mother of Invention.'
The workers started aggressively exploring newer opportunities. While European investors or 'collaborators' of failed units relocated themselves in emerging production hubs like Kenya, Ethiopia etc., they invited workers and executives of the Indian farms to the new locations. Though there were many Indians or PIOs already working there, this new breed of professionally hardened manpower took international employers by storm. With similar climatic conditions, not-so-high expectations and a hard working attitude, Indian floriculturists soon grew with farm owners abroad. Weather-wise also some parts of India match African climate and growing conditions. "Many big farm owners in African nations are from developed countries. They found the cost of services by production managers and floriculturists belonging to European nations quite expensive. So farm managers and supervisors from Pune and Bangalore found ready employment. Currency differential, non-availability of trained native manpower, high cost associated with European expertise and willingness of Indians to relocate - all these played an important role. What was a problem once now opened the door for an unexplored opportunity. Of course, expertise of the Indians remains their most prominent strength." With a booming economy, things have started changing. "My farm manager is also an Indian and he is a good guy" says Tsegaye Abebe, Chairman of Ethiopian Horticulture Producers Exporters Association. "Depending on the size of farm and experience, it may be plus thousand dollars." "Plus add cost of residence and perks, emoluments and facilities, Indians are not so cheap," added Abebe in a separate Interview with Floriculture Today during a recent exhibition in Dubai.
It was early 2000 when Indian floriculture entrepreneurs - driven by problems in their units back home and lured by potential in Africa - invested in flower production units in Ethiopia and other countries. Encouraged by feedback from Indian farm managers, supervisors and other executives, many new investors found opportunities in new growing zones and large farms abroad. The investors struck a new comfort level alongside Indian floriculturists and horticulture graduates in Ethiopia as well as Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ecuador and Colombia and the Gulf region. Indian floriculturists have proven their skills, commitment and sincerity the world over and are serving floriculture sector worldwide. All Indian floriculturists share their experiences and knowledge with others easily, they exchange mails regularly and try to help others also if there is some problem in neighboring production house.
In India, on the other hand, though some cooperation is there among flower growers, it is yet to thrive in an organised way. Abroad, however, NRIs & PIOs help each other. This co-operation provides an edge to NRI floriculture community in comparison with other manpower working in such farms. While such concerted action helps them sort out common problems occurring in their zones, it also helps them emotionally and makes their life in alien lands better. According to Ravi Goel, "Indian professionals are available in all fields of floriculture; they have formed a close circle and share the knowledge and experience with their colleagues resulting in less duplicated mistakes and ultimately better results". Ravi Goel, who belongs to Neha International, Ethiopia, is well known in world floriculture market, specially in Japan, where leading importers know him for his commitment to quality. Earlier he was with Vikram Greentech (I) Ltd. in Pune.
Happily, among Indian growers, the trend of cooperation has begun, albeit at small zonal level. According to Praveen Sharma, floriculturist and consultant in Pune, "In India now culture has changed. We meet every week to discuss and understand the problems, developments, new trends, market situation, import, export, and so many issues related to floriculture community".
A healthy development indeed!
Manager of a project near Bangalore commented : "Yes, it is true that at farm level managers are very much friendly now. In fact they meet regularly if required and this chat is a secret with our employers". "Advantage of this chatting is basically to gain the knowledge of the subject, the real issues we are facing, employment opportunities in other units and scope of migration from India," he clarified, requesting anonymity.
According to greenhouse managers in Bangalore, the feeling of secrecy is more among owners of floriculture farms and they are more conservative in comparison with those in and around Pune. They feel bad if their managers talk to a competitor's manager. A common feeling is that this is not right. |
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