For over seven years, farmers in the Kanniyakumari district have been pressing for the establishment of a scent factory at the Floriculture Research Station (FRS) in Thovalai. However, the project has been held up due to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s (TNPCB) refusal to issue a No Objection Certificate. Officials have cited various environmental and safety concerns as reasons for the delay.
The proposed scent factory at the FRS is designed to extract concentrates from flowers, which will be supplied to factories for commercial purposes such as the production of aroma oils and perfumes. This initiative is expected to provide a significant boost to the local floriculture industry by adding value to flower byproducts and creating new market opportunities for farmers.
The FRS in Thovalai was established in 2008 and is the first research station in a plain region dedicated to flowers. It has been actively engaged in experimenting with various projects aimed at benefiting floriculturists and those involved in utilizing flower byproducts. The farmers are hopeful that the project will eventually be approved, allowing them to tap into new revenue streams and further develop the local economy.
