Lalbabu Bhandari from Sonoul village in Manarashiswa Municipality–3 has been saving around NRs 700,000 annually through marigold farming. He has planted marigolds on about 20 katthas of land, from which he has consistently earned this level of savings.
Lalbabu’s daily routine now revolves entirely around flower farming—from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM. He has cultivated marigolds on two separate plots of 10 katthas each. His entire day is spent caring for the plants, irrigating, fertilizing, and harvesting the flowers.
He is supported in the work by his two sons, Vikas and Akash. Lalbabu says he brings marigold saplings from Muzaffarpur, India, at the cost of INR 2 per plant. It takes about 20 to 40 days for each plant to mature. “Once matured, a plant continues to produce flowers for three to four months. From the 1,200 saplings planted on 10 katthas, we can harvest up to 50 kilograms of flowers in a single day,” he shared.
He has planted marigolds in two locations with staggered flowering times so that when production in one plot declines, the other begins blooming. This allows him to sell flowers year-round. Lalbabu says marigolds are in constant demand, enabling him to supply the market continuously.
“A garland made from marigolds costs between NRs 50 to NRs 70. We sell it to traders who visit our home for NRs 40. From this alone, we earn up to NRs 5,000 per day,” said his son Vikas. When sold in bulk, marigolds fetch NRs 400 to NRs 500 per kilogram, generating daily earnings of NRs 2,000 to NRs 5,000.
Lalbabu also operates a shop named ‘Jayama Flower Collection.’ After covering household expenses, his sons’ education, and other costs, he manages to save up to NRs 7,00,000 a year.
