Anil Kumar Acharya

Budhanilkantha 10,Kapan, Kathmandu

*Corresponding author's E-mail: acharyanilku@gmail.com

*Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0815-6352

Abstract
Floriculture holds a great business potential in Nepal and its volume has grown by more than 70 folds in the past 25 years. There are 732 floriculture entrepreneurs working across 44 districts and have invested more than 7000 million rupees. The Government of Nepal has also encouraged the entrepreneurs by implementing the Floriculture Promotion Policy in 2012. The paper aims to share the status of floriculture, its existing policy and action plan and some measures that are to be included in the revised policy. The highest transaction value was found in ornamentals plant, shrub and climbers from 2073/74 to 2077/78, followed by marigold and other flower garland except in 2073/74. Export was drastically decreased by 95.2% in 2077/78 as compared to 2070/71, whereas import was increased by 369.31% in 2077/78 in the period. The Policy is aimed to increase the production of flower and flower related products and contribute towards increasing employment opportunity, improving export and import, conserving floriculture related biodiversity and contribute for poverty reduction. Five years (2071/72-2075/76) action plan is also in the policy having allocated budget of about 396.29 million rupees. Amendment in the policy is realized as per existing three government levels and to address some challenges and issues. During the process, there is need of depth review and analysis of the implemented Policy and its action plan followed by wider stakeholders’ consultation on the measures that would be included in the policy. Joint venture, partnership and facilitation is crucial for the promotion of floriculture.

Keywords: Floriculture, policy, import, export, transaction