📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Happie1Soul
Agriculture
Weedicides and Farm Shifts Cut Supply of Bathukamma Flowers in Telangana
✍️ Telangana Today
🗓 18 Oct 2026, 05:46 PM
👁 13
Farmers in Telangana report a sharp decline in the availability of traditional Bathukamma flowers, citing changes in crop patterns and increased use of weedicides as key factors.
The traditional flower used in the Bathukamma festival has become increasingly scarce in Telangana, according to local farmers. The decline is attributed to a shift in agricultural practices, with many growers turning to high-yield crops that require more intensive weeding. The widespread application of weedicides has further reduced the growth of native flowering plants traditionally harvested for the festival.
Farmers say that the flowers, once abundant in roadside fields and small plots, are now difficult to find. The reduced supply is affecting vendors who rely on these blossoms to prepare the elaborate arrangements that are central to the celebration.
Agricultural authorities have acknowledged the issue and are exploring ways to balance crop production with the preservation of native flora. In the meantime, community groups are urging residents to consider alternative, locally sourced flowers to keep the Bathukamma tradition alive.
Farmers say that the flowers, once abundant in roadside fields and small plots, are now difficult to find. The reduced supply is affecting vendors who rely on these blossoms to prepare the elaborate arrangements that are central to the celebration.
Agricultural authorities have acknowledged the issue and are exploring ways to balance crop production with the preservation of native flora. In the meantime, community groups are urging residents to consider alternative, locally sourced flowers to keep the Bathukamma tradition alive.