KATHMANDU (Xinhua): Floriculture Association Nepal (FAN) is going to organize a five-day long grand flower exhibition in capital Kathmandu on April 2-6, local media reported on Saturday.

Shreedhar Karki, president of the association, said that the fair will have a total of 62 stalls, reported a leading website, thehimalayantimes.com.

"The exhibition will see a transaction of around 2-3 million Nepali rupees (31,250-46,875 U.S dollars)," he told a press conference.

"We have been organizing this fair with an objective of promoting the floriculture business in Nepal," he said.

"To meet the increasing demand of the flowers as it is increasing by 10-15 percent yearly the businessmen have to invest more and more," he added. "We still need more investment in this sector."

Till five years ago, Nepal was a net importer of many types of flowers and floriculture products but the scenario has changed today and country has established itself as a floriculture exporter, he added.

According to FAN, the volume of floriculture business in Nepal is growing at an average rate of 10-15 percent a year. The commercial floriculture has now been expanded to more than 34 districts with over 600 nurseries covering 85 hectares of land. Today, the sector alone employs more than 2,500 people with more than 60 percent women.

The total annual sales volume of floriculture and related business crossed 250 million rupees (3.9 million dollars) in 2006- 07 from a mere 50-60 million rupees (781,250-937,500 dollars) a decade ago. Of the total business, the exports of floriculture and related products constitute more than 20 percent, which is growing rapidly for the last couple of years.

Till five years ago, Nepal used to import 80-90 percent of total cut-flowers consumed in the domestic market. But it is completely otherway round today as Nepal's production has already substituted imports substantially, according to FAN.

Although Nepal started exporting floral products just few years back, its reach has gone up from India to the United States, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Australia, China's Taiwan, Italy, Germany and some Gulf countries also. However,the exporting items are limited such as bulbs, tissue culture plants, cut flowers and ornamental plants.

The organizers expect 25,000 peoples to visit the expo.