The NBRI will also use these polyhouses for large scale cultivation of gerberas and roses to supply in the Commonwealth Games, 2010.

The authorities also claim that the flowers cultivated in the polyhouses will be available in the market at a nominal cost of Rs 5-6 only. Currently, these flowers particularly gerberas are being imported from Nainital, Pune and Banglore and are available at a price of Rs 15 per stick.

“A polyhouse is a chamber equipped with technologies to maintain conditions required for cultivation of flowers that grow in areas of low temperature,” said Dr Rakesh Tuli, Director of NBRI. “One of the polyhouses will be set up at cost of Rs 6.5 lakh in the NBRI campus while two others will be built near Amausi at Rs 1 crore,” he added.

For financial aid, the NBRI is going to submit proposals to the state government and the Centre.

Before starting the project at Amausi, NBRI will set up a polyhouse in its Sikenderabad campus. “NBRI has tied up with a Mumbai-based floriculture consultant — Origin Agro Biotech — to set up the polyhouse in its premises. The body will be the first government agency in the state to have a polyhouse,” said Dr BK Banerji, NBRI deputy director and Head of the Floriculture Department. The layout has been designed and consultants will start setting up the units from May.

Banerji said NBRI has received applications from ten entrepreneurs and several other farmers for training purposes. “Their short-listing is still under the process of approval and the final list will be declared soon,” Banerji said.