Orchid industry blooms in Sikkim

SIKKIM - The orchid industry is proving to be an enterprising avenue for local plant growers in Sikkim.

Orchids are popular with plant growers commercially, as they are expensive and a single branch of cymbidium orchid can cost upto Rupees 1000.

With a little push from the state, orchid cultivation has caught on among local growers.

“The flower growers here have always been very hardworking. Even if you see the history of this region, we have always been growing the ornamental flowers. But when the department made us aware that these flowers can be sold and the potential from its sale is high, we started doing it for commercial purposes,” said Denise Rai, a flower grower.

To compete with international quality of orchids available in market, the seeds are imported to Sikkim after undergoing various stages of treatment.

“All the plants here are Australian clones, which have been specially brought from Australia. They are brought here after they are tissue-cultured in Ooty and Chennai,” said Dilkush Mohora, supervisor of Sikkim Himalayan Orchids Limited.

Sikkim, also known as the ‘Orchid Belt’, boasts of around 400 species of the flower and has a trained workforce for a flourishing orchid industry. (ANI)