What Is Floriculture?

By definition, Floriculture is a sub-field of horticulture that focuses on cultivating, managing, and commercial production of flowering and ornamental plants. It is often considered a greenhouse industry because the flowers are grown in greenhouses. The cultivated flowers are used in cosmetics, perfumes, and the pharmaceutical and hospitality industries.

Floriculture is rapidly expanding in more than 90 countries. The flower industry includes the cultivation and trade of cut flowers, cut foliage, potted plants, bedding plants, and the sale of these products. Ornamental and herbal flowers have become a flourishing niche market with worldwide demand. Flowers are delivered to wholesale markets in cities with large market potential. Flower merchants purchase the flowers and resell them to local retail outlets in various locations.

India has a bright future in Floriculture because of its vast genetic diversity and diverse agro-climatic conditions. Many Indian institutions offer courses in Floriculture and Horticulture, including IB schools in Chennai (https://www.internationalvillage.org/). Swing by here to read more about the scope of the floriculture industry.

Floriculture As A Career Choice

Floriculture’s career opportunities include flowers designers, interior decorators, sales representatives, cultivators, wholesale florists, and botanic garden curators. Fresh graduates can also work in floriculture companies, flower processing and marketing establishments, or under the municipal corporation, where they can produce a variety of flowers in high demand.

Skills required:

Floriculture careers require a specific set of skills useful for landscape and interior designers. Top schools in Chennai offer Floriculture as an ancillary course to impart the required skill sets. Floriculture careers require a thorough understanding of demography, geography, climatic conditions and other areas. Additional skills include:

• An innate love of nature and the outdoors
• Keen interest in gardening
• Creative and artistic flair
• Knowledge of plants
• Physical stamina
• An eye for detail

Job prospects:

The flower industry offers many opportunities, including developing high-quality flowers and bulbs. Fresh Floriculture graduates may find job roles such as:

• Supervisors in floriculture companies
• Managerial or admin positions
• Jobs in flower processing and marketing establishments
• Managing the production of flower varieties
• A specialist at the horticulture department

Floriculture graduates can also find employment in the flower industry, including floral designers, production managers, and sales representatives. Although Floral Design is a stressful profession as there is limited room for advancement, there are some opportunities for horizontal advancement. Floral design is a great career choice for those interested in business and creativity and those who want to work for themselves. Students who complete a Floriculture course can prepare for a career as a Floriculture scientist. Floriculturists are also responsible for cultivating flowering plants, developing new varieties, and the post-harvest treatment of flowering plants. They also research flowering plants.

Salary trends:

Floriculturist salaries are based on the candidate’s job profile, the type of work they do, and their experience. The annual salary of an Interior Decorator ranges from Rs 2 to 5 lakhs, while the income of a Floriculturist is between Rs 1.5 and 3 lakhs. A floriculturist can earn between Rs.6000 and Rs.8000 per month. Government regulations determine researchers’ and academicians’ salaries. Your salary is determined by your job role, qualifications, experience, and location.

Courses offered:

Floriculture includes Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses.

Universities to study in:

Floriculture programmes at some of the most prestigious academic institutions in India are listed below:

1. Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi
2. University of Agricultural Science, Bengaluru
3. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore
4. Calcutta University, Kolkata
5. Allahabad School of Agriculture, UP
6. Kerala Agriculture University, Kerala
7. College of Horticulture, Kerala
8. Horticulture College and Research Institute, Periyakulam
9. University of Agricultural Science, Bangalore
10. Faculty of Horticulture, TNAU, Coimbatore
11. Punjab Agriculture University, Punjab
12. Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

Top recruiters in the floriculture industry:

The following are some of the renowned employers who hire Floriculture graduates:

• Indian Council For Agriculture Research (ICAR)
• Sun Valley Landscaping
• Nagarjuna Agritech Ltd, Bangalore
• Casa Verde Growers
• IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Ltd
• National Botanical Research Institute
• Eden Park Agro Products Ltd, Pune
• Defense Institute of Bio-energy Research
• Indian Agricultural Research Institute
• Indus Floritech Ltd, Hyderabad
• Birla Floriculture, Pune

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Floriculture As A Career Choice

Advantages:

Floral design has many advantages, including that you can get to work and start earning money very quickly. You do not need a degree to work in floral design, but a certificate or diploma programme can benefit you. Floral designers are always in demand because fresh flowers are timeless and never go out of style.

Disadvantages:

In India, Floriculture is in its early stages of development. Hence, the industry lacks the resources and skills to upgrade to international standards. We need to produce skilled personnel and explore new means to ensure our farmers’ survival and increase exports and save our economy. Moreover, value-added products derived from non-conventional floricultural crops are expected to face less competition in the international market.

Several issues are impeding the growth of the flower industry, including a lack of seed, flowers, germplasm and tissue culture facilities. Other challenges include oversupply and lack of quality assurance.

Arming yourself for a career in Floriculture

If you consider a career in floral design, you should exercise your creative muscles daily. You might need to put in a full day’s worth of effort before you even open your shop. During peak holiday seasons, you may find yourself in stressful working situations, such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas and the wedding seasons.

However, if you have the talent and ability to create a niche and establish a name for yourself, your career in Floriculture can be extremely rewarding and soul-satisfying.