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The commercial cultivation of flame lily had attracted many in the State since the 1980s as a kilogram of the seeds of the flower, with its therapeutic properties, fetched up to ₹8,000 in a pharmaceutical-driven market. That’s no longer the case
The commercial cultivation of flame lily had attracted many in the State since the 1980s as a kilogram of the seeds of the flower, with its therapeutic properties, fetched up to ₹8,000 in a pharmaceutical-driven market. That’s no longer the case
Flame lily occupies a special place in Tamil literature. The Sangam-era poet, Kapilar, refers to it in his Kurinchipattu that describes the landscape of the mountainous terrain. When the State of Tamil Nadu was formed in 1956, flame lily was named as its official flower.
However, it is not the best of times for farmers raising Gloriosa superba, also referred to as ‘Kanvali kizhangu’ ‘Karthigaipoo’, and ‘Senkanthalpoo’. Falling prices and lack of marketing support are affecting them.
Commercial cultivation of the flame lily had attracted many in Tamil Nadu since the 1980s as a kilogram of the seeds of the flower, with its therapeutic properties, fetched up to ₹8,000 in a pharmaceutical-driven market. That’s no longer the case.
“Flame lily is used by pharmaceutical companies, but the farmers are excluded from the actual process once they harvest the seeds. This allowed middlemen to manipulate the market,” Pala Raghupathy, organiser, Tamil Nadu Kanvali Kizhangu Vivasayigal Sangam (TNKKVS), told The Hindu.
Based out of Mulanur in Tiruppur district, the 15-year-old flame lily farmers’ association has 2,100 members, and has been lobbying for greater transparency in the way the sector works.
Medicinal value
Growing from a fleshy rhizome, this herbaceous climber with vividly coloured flowers is commonly found in scrubland, forests, thickets and even sand dunes. Both the roots and the seeds are important pharmaceutical ingredients in indigenous Indian and African medicine. For several decades, they have been part of therapies to treat or manage ailments such as cancer, gout, arthritis, leprosy and dyspepsia.
Among the 24 alkaloids present in flame lily are colchicine and colchicoside, used in anti-cancer medication, besides 10 non-alkaloidal medicinal compounds, including B-sitosterol, chelidonic acid, luteolin and stigmasterol, says a paper published on envis.frlht.org by Bharathidasan University plant science professor K.V. Krishnamurthy.
Turbulent market
At present, the flowers are raised on 600-800 hectares in the State. “Approximately 80% of the export-quality seeds are procured from farms based in Thoppampatty and Ottanchattram (Dindigul district), Mulanur and Dharapuram (Tiruppur district) and Aravakurichi (Karur district). The seed rhizome is sourced from hilly climes and brought to these regions where it thrives in well-drained soils. Until 2018, business boomed to such an extent that foreign companies were pre-booking farmers’ flame lily harvests for lakhs of rupees through brokers. Harvested seeds were being sold for ₹5,000-₹8,000 per kilogram in those days,” recalled Mr. Raghupathy, a flame lily farmer for 15 years.
Farmers being undercut
However, a series of developments in the market, precipitated by the COVID-19 lockdown, have let down the farmers. A root can be fertile for up to three years after plantation, but only if the soil and climate conditions are conducive. “The roots of last year’s crop rotted in the fields because of the excessive rain. Besides this, middlemen have started undercutting farmers by buying up or leasing large tracts of land to grow flame lily themselves,” said Mr. Raghupathy.
Difficult to sell
Where once whole seeds were being exported to countries such as the United States, China, Italy, Germany and Sweden, companies have started sending the extract instead. Approximately 100 kg of seeds can yield 16% liquid extract.
“This is a very specific product for a specific market. Moringa can fetch a minimum of at least one rupee at its lowest, but flame lily cannot be sold easily. Marketing agencies do not want to hold its seed stock and sell,” said R. Kannan, Assistant Agricultural Officer, Department of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business, Aravakurichi.
During the boom days, flame lily farmers in the Aravakurichi region had floated Tamil Nadu Bhoomi Farmer Producer Company to market the flower. “We had 350 farmers on board at one point, but the company barely functions now because prices have dropped to ₹800 from ₹3,900 per kilogram in the past six months. The surplus seeds can be stored in normal room temperature, but as its weight reduces with time, the farmer stands to earn less as days go by. So 100 kilograms of seeds will weigh only around 40 kilograms after three months in storage,” explained Mr. Kannan.
Minimum price sought
TNKKVS has been petitioning the Central and State governments for improving the lot of its farmers. “We need a minimum support price of ₹2,500 per kg to help us stay afloat. Despite its commercial value, flame lily is not certified by the government as a cash crop; so farmers are not eligible for loans or insurance,” said Mr. Raghupathy.
With at least ₹7 lakh required to prepare the field in the first year, the flower’s cultivation seems to preclude small-scale farming.
“Regular weeding, manual pollination, drip irrigation and setting up the trellises to train the creepers and spraying insecticide require at least ₹3 lakh in the second year. Only rich farmers can afford to grow flame lily in Tamil Nadu these days,” he said.