Kalpana blooms in Sikkim, so does Atal

The pink cymbidium, the most common and cherished species of orchid in Sikkim, with sprinkles of violet and yellow adorns the nursery of Sailesh Pradhan, one of the prominent cultivators in the state. Pradhan represents the Way Side Gardens and Nurseries Private Limited, a nursery spread over five acres at 6th Mile on the outskirts Gangtok, that is known for orchid cultivation for the past 25 years or more. “This orchid was named after Kalpana Chawla, the Indian American astronaut, by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003,” Pradhan said pointing at a cattleya hybrid. “The astronaut who we lost 10 years back, is still alive in Sikkim.” According to him, when Vajpayee visited Sikkim for the first time and was requested to name the new hybrid species of cattleya, he christened it in the name of Chawla who lost her life after space shuttle Columbia disintegrated while descending on the earth on February 1, 2003. The flower came to be known as Brassocattleya Astronaut Kalpana Chawla. The same year, the UK-based Royal Horticultural Society included the species in its global list of orchids. “During the same visit, another orchid of dendrobium variety was named after the then Prime Minister. It is known as Dendrobium Atal Bihari Vajpayee today,” Pradhan said. Over time, demand for orchids that grow round the year in Sikkim have also increased both in and outside the country. “Around 450 species of orchids are available in Sikkim. But all of these are not cultivated for commercial purposes. Sikkim, owing to its climatic conditions, has developed as a natural hub of orchids and the state government’s impetus to ensure that cultivators like us get a chance to merchandise our produce in global markets like Amsterdam, known as the international flower hub, is encouraging” Pradhan said. The flowers grow in rocky soil and need 10 to 30 degrees Celsius temperature with adequate sunshine all year round. Although orchids grow althrough the year, they are mostly found during spring. “The process of growing hybrid species is going on in Sikkim. Growers across the state cultivate orchids. We are also growing other plants like lilium and azelea, which can be used for landscaping.” Simfed, or the Sikkim State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited, buys the produce from the growers and arranges for exports, Pradhan said. The federation provides seeds and saplings to the growers and buys from them the finished products and arranges for exports. “Some other governmental assistance is also extended to growers and to attract new cultivators as today, Sikkim is one of the major exporters of orchids to different parts of the globe,” Pradhan said. In Gangtok, Sudhizong Lucksom, a former forest official and an orchid researcher, said the state government has assisted growers in building over 4,000 greenhouses across Sikkim. “Sikkim is fast emerging as an orchid growing state with more and more people getting attracted to this cash crop. People, including those residing in the remote areas, are into tissue culture, and working on the species of rare orchids found in the state. There are orchids which last for two months while there are species which last only for one-two days,” Lucksom said. “It is nice to see that Sikkim, with help of the state machinery and the National Research Centre for Orchids set up by ICAR, is helping a lot in the promotion and export of these flowers to other parts of India and in the overseas,” he added. Dendrobium nobile, the state flower and an orchid species, is also one of the common flowers along with cymbidium, that is exported, the researcher said. Sources said that there are over 4,000 growers across Sikkim with the number increasing by around 500 in each year. “Annually, around 20 million stalks of orchids are produced in Sikkim. If merchandised through proper channels in the Indian and overseas markets, each stem fetches anything between Rs 50 and Rs 80, depending on the species,” said a source. The global market for orchids is over $1 billion annually, with Japan and the US being the main players followed by Taiwan and China. “We are giving impetus to horticulture, floriculture and hydro projects and have drafted a specific roadmap for development of the tourism sector,” said chief minister Pawan Chamling. “The international flower festival held (here) in February has provided a large arena to Sikkim to exhibit its exotic orchids before national and global buyers. Such initiatives to unveil new international markets for Sikkim orchids would continue on the part of the government.” “In the international market, we have buyers from different countries. Orchid cultivation is developing as a lucrative occupation for the residents of Sikkim. We are providing all possible assistance to ensure that artificial environment is provided for cultivation for the best quality orchids,” he added.