Dibrugarh, Jan 31: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said a state floriculture mission will come up in Assam to harness the vast flower market of the state.

Speaking to reporters here, CM Sarma said, “20,000 farmers of the state will be benefitted through this mission. Rs 150 crore will be spent in the first phase of the mission. There is a huge demand for flowers in the state. Now flowers are coming from Kolkata and Thailand. For Puja and rituals, flowers are important.”

Meanwhile, every day Assam has been procuring flowers from other states. “Every day, huge amount of flowers are coming to the state which have huge demand in the market. The costing is higher due to the procurement from other states,” said an owner of a flower shop.

The opportunities for flower cultivation are increasing due to several uses of flowers in an aesthetic sense, urbanization, and substantially increased purchasing power of people.