Comparative Analysis of Open v/s Protected Cut Flower Rose Farming in Karnataka, India

In India, the floriculture industry is the second largest in the world, trailing only China. The total area under flower crops during 2023-24 was 285,000 hectares; production of loose flowers was estimated to be 21.52 lakh metric tons, and cut-flowers were 645 metric tons. Both fresh and dried cut flowers lead floriculture exports from India. (NHB, 2023-24). Among the plethora of flowers, the rose stands out as a plant with hundreds of species and thousands of cultivars, many of which are native to Asia. These roses are not only extensively used in commercial perfumery and pharmaceuticals but also as commercial cut flower crops. In the current era of commercialization, rose cultivation has expanded to both protected and open-field methods. Therefore, this study was undertaken to analyze the Comparative Analysis of Open vs. Protected Cut Flower Rose Farming in Karnataka. The study was based on primary data collected from 40 farmers each from both the districts, namely Chikkaballapura and Bengaluru Rural. The data were analysed using cost and return analysis and capital budgeting techniques. The results obtained from this study indicated that the cultivation of roses was profitable under open and protected fields. But comparatively, the rate of return obtained from protected cultivation was higher, i.e., 54 per cent with a 1.58 B:C ratio, than open-field cultivation, i.e., 47 per cent with a 1.21 B:C ratio. Therefore, efforts should be made to educate the traditional rose farmers to adopt a better package of practices followed by protected farms and encourage them by providing cheaper institutional credit and subsidies.