SIMFED begins e-payment for flower growers

GANGTOK, 13 June: The Sikkim State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (SIMFED), has recently tied up with Axis Bank, Gangtok, for making payments to the flower growers of the state. The payment is done on-the-spot to the growers after necessary grading/ sorting etc, informs a press release.
SIMFED has been receiving cut flowers of Asiatic Lillium in bulk quantity since mid-May. However, as it is not the season for weddings, the demand for cut flowers has been very low. These cut flowers are being sold at very low rates in the market outside the state. However, SIMFED through Axis Bank has been making the payments to the flower growers as per the rate fixed and declared by SIMFED through various news media, the release informs.
This has been done to encourage the marginal growers to take up floriculture as additional source of income and to make Sikkim a floriculture state, the release states.
Further, in order to imbibe the habit of savings among the growers and to curtail the travelling expenses of the growers to visit the office to receive their payment, the management of SIMFED, has decided to make e-payments in association with Axis Bank. The account of the growers will be credited on the same day for the flowers which were delivered to SIMFED, the release further informs.