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| A diseased orchid. Picture by Vivek Singh |
Kurseong, Oct. 6: Kurseong, known as the Land of White Orchids, will find it hard to display these rare plants at the annual flower fest this year.
Orchids are usually the main attraction at the fest, but an unknown disease has been steadily crippling farming of the flower here over the past few years.
The Himalayan Orchid Society, which organises the fest, is now concentrating on promoting other flowers grown in the area.
?We are planning to exhibit some of our seasonal flowers this time as symbridium culture (orchid farming) is not being done for the past few years due to a mystery disease. The disease has caused heavy losses to the growers. Only some of the orchids survived and we will put them up for display at the exhibition,? said Khagendra Rai, a senior member of the society and grower of orchids.
The society has been organising the flower festival since 1995. Last year, the event did not take place because the disease, which growers described as an ?unknown fungus?, had destroyed all the orchids.
Growers here are at a loss as to how the disease can be cured.
?When we realised that the disease was destroying the orchids, we invited a scientist from the Kalimpong research centre. He, however, could not identify the fungus. We applied fungicides recommended by experts but the effort proved futile as the disease continued to destroy the flowers,? said Rai.
Mirik, which usually supplies orchids worth between Rs 80 and 85 lakh to the rest of the country, has suffered the maximum losses.
Orchids from the subdivision are sold to consumers in Manipur, Nagaland and Sikkim, among others.
?This year?s exhibition will mostly feature seasonal flowers. Orchid cultivation is being abandoned by most of the flower growers here with many of them switching over to cultivation of a perennial plant known as aselia. The demand for the plant is growing and most of our members are now growing this variety,? said Rai.