Unsold flowers no longer a waste

Gadkhali area of Jashore's Jhikargachha, often referred to as the country's flower capital,  produces flowers round the year.

However, local flower growers used to suffer losses from April to September due to less demand for flowers in the market.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, flowers worth around Tk 50 crore are wasted in Jashore during this time.

Fortunately, things are changing, while opening doors to new possibilities.

Women entrepreneurs of "Phul Kanan Panisara" at Bangladesh-America Friendship Flower Marketing Center, near Gadkhali, are now producing an array of products, including incense sticks, dyes, soaps, and fragrances, using petals of flowers that have either remained unsold or withered from the branches.

They are also selling their products through online platforms.

Getting involved in this venture, Nasreen Nahar Asha of Panisara village, Rabeya Khatun and Sajeda Begum of Bariya village, and 27 other women are on the way to financial independence.

They follow a sequence of steps to utilise flower petals as raw materials for their products. Petals are removed and burnt to make dyes which are used on clothes for boutique printing.

Aromatic oils are made from flower extracts to make perfumes, while incense sticks and soaps are made from dried rose petal powder.

Also, dried flower petals are used to make wall-mats, bangles, earrings, key rings, photo frames and pendants.

Contacted, Rabeya Khatun said four people including her received training from India under the initiative of Society for Bright Social Services through the regional connectivity project, funded by the Ministry of Commerce. After returning to the country, they started working with flowers, initially using dried rose petals to make wall-mats, selling each for around Tk 1,500.

Over time, they expanded their product portfolio to different other items.

"I along with two other women in the village are now trying to train women  to work in this initiative," she said.

Meanwhile, Saheda Begum said they are selling the products locally, as well as online using a social media page titled "Flower and Flower Work".

"I recently opened a stall at a fair and got a lot of response," she added.

Besides, Nasreen Nahar Asha said although the sector is in the initial stage, it has many possibilities.

She also said they need financial support to buy necessary equipment to set up a factory, which will eventually provide employment for many women in the region.

These artisan soaps, perfumes and cosmetics have good demand across the world, Asha added.

Abdur Rahim, president of Jashore Flower Growers and Marketing Cooperative Association, echoed the same.

"There is a large market for flower by-products. Government support is very important to capture it," he said.

Abul Hasan, additional director to the DAE in Jashore, said they are ready to provide all kinds of cooperation to the initiative.

"The process of bringing more entrepreneurs under training is ongoing. They can get loans on easy terms," he said.