Income Generation through Value Addition of Flower Crops: A Review

Value added floriculture is a process of increasing the economic value and consumer appeal of any floral commodity through processing and packaging diversification. The value addition for marketing flowers includes adoption of postharvest technology and improved logistics. Value- addition ensures high premium to the grower, while providing more acceptable quality products for the domestic and export market, and it provides the most important aspects of marketing and give the customers a reason to buy such products. Value addition reduces post-harvest losses and diversifies the economic base of rural communities. The value-added products can be classified into three categories namely fresh flower products, dried flower products and processed flower products. The success of floral industry lies upon by strengthening the fresh flower market through value addition. Dry flower value added products of flowers through different methods have shown promising results. Tinting of cut carnation with food dye Pink and Orange Red @ 5% recorded the fastest uptake of 1 hour Jasminum sambac flowers harvested at the fully open stage yielded better quality essential oil compared with flowers harvested at the closed bud stage. Marigold is one of the richest source of carotenoids especially lutein which possess antioxidant activities and moreover intake of lutein helps in curing age related macular diseases. Natural dyes are mostly used in the colouring of textiles, drugs, cosmetics, etc. Chrysanthemum petals can be used as a substitute of synthetic reactive dyes for dyeing of cotton and silk fabrics (Das et al., 2016). Marigold flower provides a source of carotenoids commercially used in food colouring industries and poultry feed high in carotenoids has been shown to increase performance and egg yolk color as well as decrease egg cholesterol levels.