The 10th edition of Godavari Expo kicked off in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur on Wednesday with the aim of promoting the local flower business.

The four-day flower exhibition organised by the Floriculture Association Nepal (Fan) showcases 400 types of flowers produced in the country.

Chrysanthemum (godavari), marigold (sayapatri), globe amaranth (makhamali), azalea, bird of paradise and begambeli among a wide range of decorative and seasonal flowers are the main attractions at the fair.

Similarly, visitors can buy saplings of improved varieties of fruits like orange, guava and kumquat (muntala) at the exhibition. Prices of these products range from Rs30 to Rs6,000 per sapling.

Fan President Kumar Kasaju Shrestha said cut, ornamental and landscape flowers, orchids and local flowers were on display at the expo.

“By hosting the expo ahead of the Tihar festival, we have targeted promoting the flower business by offering a wide range of products at a single location,” he said.

According to Fan, demand for flowers has been increasing at the rate of 12 to 15 percent annually. Sales mainly go up during wedding seasons and the Tihar festival.

The flower trade has an annual turnover of Rs1.5 billion. Imports account for 20 percent of the total business. Shrestha said locally grown flowers had been replacing imported products recently.

Currently, there are 675 commercial nurseries in 39 districts. Kathmandu, Pokhara, Narayanghat, Hetauda, Kavrepalanchok, Biratnagar, Dharan and Dhangadhi are the key producers of flowers. Shrestha said they had aimed at complete import substitution in the next 10 years.

Chrysanthemum is the main attraction at the expo. According to the Floriculture Development Centre, Godavari, Nepal produces eight types of chrysanthemum—encurve, reflex, spider, pumpum, spray, miniature, anemone and snowball.

According to Drona Raj Kafle, senior officer at the centre, demand for the pot variety of chrysanthemum swells during Tihar. “People buy chrysanthemums to decorate houses and business complexes during the festival,” said Kafle.

Shanta Subedi, proprietor of Muskan Nursery in Swayambhu, said business promotion through the flower expo was encouraging. She has been participating in similar expos for the last five years, and sells improved varieties of orange saplings at the fair. The saplings cost Rs5,000 each.

Likewise, Rakshya Nursery offers big guava saplings named ‘Kalkatte Amba’. Ganga Devi Tamang, owner of the nursery, said she had targeted boosting her business at the fair. She plans to participate in the flower competition being organised on the sidelines of the expo.

The organiser has expected footfall to reach 30,000 and transactions to total Rs3.5 million during the exhibition.