Flora Expo and Landscape Expo from Sept 8

New Delhi, July 18 (UNI) India will showcase its various floriculture products for international buyers at the '2nd Flora Expo 2006' to be organised here from September 8 to 10.

Sponsored by APEDA and jointly organised by Media Today Group and iFlora, the Expo would be Asia's biggest floriculture event.

To be inaugurated by President A P J Abdul Kalam, it would be India's second major event in two years befitting the country's new status as an emerging 'Flower Power'.

The Expo will have major participation from 24 countries including Singapore, The Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Russia, UAE, Malaysia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Germany, UK and several European nations.

APEDA Chairman K S Money said, ''Owing to the rise in per capita income and the numerous festivals, flower consumption at the domestic market itself is rising at a fast pace. Moreover, the floriculture market abroad, be it Netherlands or Japan, have started taking India seriously as a supplier of quality products.'' Today, India is one of the largest suppliers of cut roses to Japan.

India has the potential of becoming one of the foremost exporters of quality floriculture products to the international market like fresh cut flowers, foliage, live plants, seeds, bulbs, pot pourri, dried flowers, tubers and tissue culture plants, Mr Money said.

iFlora's Chief Coordinator and President S Jafar said the first international Flora Expo organised in 2005 in Bangalore did business worth Rs 250 million within a short span of three days. The importers from across the globe found unusual plants and flowers, hitherto unknown in international trade, thus opening a new avenue of Cut Greens production for growers in India. Indian growers benefitted from exposure to more international and high-tech technologies in floriculture and forged several new alliances and business deals.

The Flora Expo would focus on India's diverse agro climatic spectrum offering Liliums, Zantedesias, Liatris fron Uttaranchal, Orchids from Sikkim, Tuberosa and Marigold from West Bengal, foliage like ferns and dry arrangements from North East. ''Dried flowers and handcrafted flowers, a range in Europe and US markets will also be on display,'' informed Jafar.

India has exponential growth in the floriculture sector with domestic market growing at 40 per cent every year. And, India's exports have grown to Rs 3000 million from almost a null in last one decade. The florist shops have jumped from a few hundreds to over 7,000 in Delhi alone.

Mr M B Naqvi, Director of Media Today Group said an added attraction at the Expo would be the Landscape Expo 2006 which will bring together latest technology suppliers, landscape architects, exporters, contractors and traders at one platform, thus providing a truly world class experience for professionals in this sector.

Innovative ways of landscaping, lighting, roof gardening and golf courses would be some of the highlights at this show.

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