The Maharashtra government has decided to impose a ban on artificial flowers, State Horticulture Minister Bharat Gogawale announced in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
Gogawale stated that the decision came after a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, in response to demands raised by horticulture farmers. “We are committed to supporting our farmers, and this step is essential to safeguard their interests,” he said.
Shiv Sena MLA Mahesh Shinde, while raising the issue in the session, said a meeting was earlier held with Minister Gogawale and Chief Minister Fadnavis, during which Fadnavis had assured that the ban would be implemented.
Last week, Shinde had highlighted in the Assembly that the increasing use of synthetic flowers was severely affecting the livelihood of traditional flower growers. “This move will help farmers in a big way,” he said on Wednesday.
Minister Gogawale had then acknowledged that floriculturists across the state are facing financial losses due to the influx of low-cost, mass-produced artificial flowers. “Despite training programmes in advanced floriculture, greenhouse technology, and post-harvest handling, our farmers are being pushed out of the market by synthetic alternatives,” he said.
Earlier, Gogawale informed the House that a high-level meeting with the environment minister would be held during the ongoing session to finalise the implementation strategy and regulatory framework for the ban.
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