MINGORA: The vegetable growers in Swat are celebrating the success of gladiolus farming as their first experimental yield has tripled their income.

Originating from Africa and spreading through the Mediterranean and rest of the world, gladiolus flower, the bloom of August, shades the heavenly valley of Swat in warm pastels.

Gladiolus, derived from the Latin word gladius, meaning sword, is rightly nicknamed the `sword lily`, referring to its spear-like shape. The shape symbolises infatuation, a metaphorical spear that has `pierced the heart with love.

Gladiolus is also a symbol of moral integrity, strength and remembrance. In floral tradition, the flower stands for the 40th anniversary of marriage.

Known as the flower of August, the gladiolus is the birth flower for people born in August, attributing them with the quality of moral integrity.

High quality vegetables and fruits have been the staple produce of Swat valley throughout its history, due to its fertile land. Therefore, farmers were sceptical about deviating from their traditional business.

Kishwar Bacha and Dawlat Mand, farmers in Islampur area, said that at first they took the idea of gladiolus farming as a joke and were not seriously inclined towards it.

However, once their produce hit the market, they were taken by pleasant surprise.

Mohammad Rahman, a farmer from Charbagh, who has been a vegetable farmer for the last 20 years, grew gladiolus in his three-marla plot this year.

`I always grew vegetables on the same plot which earned me maximum Rs5,000 per season. This time, I experimentally grew gladiolus on the same plot and it earned me over Rs15,000,` he said, adding that he had planned to grow 100,000 gladiolus plants next season.

`We have decided to extend the gladiolus crop to 20-kanal land in future and make Swat known for gladiolus crop,` thefarmers said.

Dilawar Khan, a farmer from Charbagh area, said that he personally visited the flower markets in Pakistan and found that gladiolus was in great demand.

`Gladiolus is a comparatively high income crop, attracting an increasing number of farmers. After the massive success of the experimental crop this year, I plan to sow about 200,000 gladioli in the coming season and to fully convert to this business,` he told Dawn.

Gladiolus market in Pakistan sizes to about 10 million flowers. Owing to fertile land and appropriate climate, the flower was first introduced in Kalam and then in Islampur, Charbagh, Miandam, Kishawara, Thelegram, Baidara, Chailand Bahrain where 45,000 gladioli were planted by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme under PEACE, funded by European Union.

`Keeping in view the potential supply gap at national level for gladiolus market s, we motivated farmers and even provided them with gladiolus seeds. We educated them about the complete process from sowing to marketing in Lahore and Islamabad, said Amjad Ali, a programme manager of SRSP. He added that the produce from Swat received encouraging response in Lahore and Islamabad.

According to experts, gladiolus is high income crop for farmers in Swat where income per kanal land is Rs120,000.

The first gladioli retail shop was estab-lished in Swat owing to the response from the flower-loving people.

`We would go to Peshawar or Islamabad to get flowers for different occasions or collect different flowers from here and there in Swat valley but now our own shop has made it easy for us to get fresh flowers here,` said Abdul Karim, a resident of Saidu Sharif.

Gulranga Ali, a university student, who was buying flowers from the stall at Saidu Sharif, said that she loved fresh flowers and always wanted to buy some but did not have access to them.

`It is really good to have flower shop here and will be easy to make flower arrangements for special occasions,` she told Dawn.