Boat orchids set to sail hill economy

Darjeeling: Cymbidium orchids, often called “boat orchids,” are fast emerging as a viable cash crop in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills, thanks to a blend of favorable climate, government support and farmer participation. In the latest push, 223 farmers across the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) region have received improved varieties of Cymbidium orchid seedlings under a distribution programme jointly organised by the Bengal Horticulture department and the Directorate of Cinchona and Other Medicinal Plants under the GTA. The programme concluded at Mungpoo, where 46 farmers were handed seedlings in the final phase. Earlier phases had covered 150 farmers in Lungsel, Gorubathan and 27 in Lava Block of the Kalimpong district. Samuel Rai, Director, DCOMP stated: “While farmers may sell cut flowers, mother plants and seedlings are not to be traded.” Farmers expressed gratitude for receiving larger-sized plants this year, noting the crop’s potential to improve livelihoods.

In Kalimpong, 27 farmers were given seedlings at a separate event graced. Recently, 53,000 coffee seedlings were also distributed to farmers in Mirik, reflecting the region’s wider horticultural drive. Parts of the GTA area, with high altitude, cool summer nights, and monsoonal rains, provide an ideal environment for Cymbidium cultivation. Government initiatives, including financial support, polyhouse infrastructure, and training, have helped overcome past hurdles in commercial expansion. Modern tissue culture techniques have further boosted production, and studies show high profit potential, with cut spikes fetching Rs. 100–to Rs. 200 in markets. Despite challenges in marketing infrastructure, pest management, and connectivity, Cymbidium orchids are increasingly viewed as a lucrative avenue for floriculture, poised to strengthen the hill economy and restore the region’s historic reputation for orchids.