Flower is there in all our occasions -- be it a happy one or otherwise. It makes us feel better and soothes us in distress. 

Its demand in Bangladesh grew as more and more people have been elevated to urban middle class, said Goynad Sarker, adviser to Bangladesh Flower Society (BFC), in his speech at the inaugural ceremony of the Bangladesh Flower Fest 2016 yesterday.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury who was speaking as chief guest said she had seen rare use of flowers in her childhood. Even in her youth, a few people would present flowers.

Within decades, flower cultivation has grown into an industry. The increase in demand is the sign of a change in people's attitude, the minister said.

Commercial farming of flowers began in the country in 1983 on 30-decimal of land in Jessore. Now, flowers are grown on nearly 1,000 acres of land in 22 districts, mostly in Khulna and Dhaka divisions, Goynad said.

At least 1.5 lakh people are involved in the production, distribution and sales.

The sales price of flowers was $31 million in 2009-10, which rose to around $100 million in 2014-15 fiscal, Goynad said at the two-day festival organised by the BFC at Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh in the capital's Khamarbari. The programme was sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The most sought-after flowers being produced in the country are tuberose, various types of roses, gladiolus, marigold, gerbera and daisy, the BFC adviser said.

Though the flower market is expanding, the industry faces a number of setbacks.

Farmers are producing various kinds of quality flowers, but often traders introduce them to customers as foreign ones and demand higher prices, said Nasrin Nahar Aasha, chief executive of Jessore Flower Production and Marketing Cooperative Union.

“We are in the festival trying to inform all that we produce so many kinds of quality flowers,” she told The Daily Star at the festival that began with a slogan, “Local flowers: local market.”

Michael Field, chief of party of the USAID's Agricultural Value Chains Project (AVC), said farmers had little knowledge about which flowers had more demand than others and the prices asked for them. 

Under the project, farmers and traders are given support in terms of knowledge about firm practices, new technologies, packaging and transporting, he said.

The sector has improved a lot but if farmers gain necessary skills and realise the market demand, they can produce quality flowers and get fairer prices, Field noted.

BFS President Abdur Rahim said they needed a wholesale flower market.

Besides, researches should be conducted on developing high quality flowers and farmers be provided with technologies and bank loans, he said.

While Matia Chowdhury endorsed Abdur's suggestions, she said she missed some indigenous variety sweet-scented roses.

“As flowers of various colours soothe our eyes, there should be scented flowers too to soothe our mind.”