Flowers get dearer ahead of Onam festival in TN
During the ‘Varamahalakshmi’ puja festival in the first week of August, the price of ‘samanthi poo’ (chrysanthemum) was sold at an all-time high of Rs 600 per kg.
Flower market in Coimbatore (file picture)
COIMBATORE: For this Onam festivity, flowers have gone dearer, driven by high demand and a drop in yield due to continuous rains.
Prices of flowers began to skyrocket with the start of the festive season; Vinayaga Chathurthi celebrations, auspicious wedding season and for Onam, when the demand for flowers usually peaks.
During the ‘Varamahalakshmi’ puja festival in the first week of August, the price of ‘samanthi poo’ (chrysanthemum) was sold at an all-time high of Rs 600 per kg.
“Yield in open fields has been affected by up to 20 per cent due to continuous rains, causing rusting and leaf spots in plants. Due to the existing demand-supply gap, the floriculturists fetch 40 per cent better prices for their produce as compared to last year. With a few more days left, the prices may soar even higher for Onam,” said Bala Siva Prasad, Director of Flower Council of India.
Last year, the prices went up only on the peak day of the festival, but this time around, the flowers fetch a premium price continuously for the last ten days.
The Wayanad tragedy, which led to the cancellation of Onam celebrations in the neighbouring state, also caused a slump in the sale of flowers last year.
Currently, the chrysanthemum varieties are sold for Rs 250 to Rs 400 per kg, button roses for Rs 250 to Rs 350, and marigolds for up to Rs 70 per kg. The sale volume in the Hosur flower market in Krishnagiri, a major flower-producing district in Tamil Nadu, is approximately 350 to 400 tonnes of loose flowers.
On average, 70 to 80 tonnes of flowers are sent daily to Kerala, and this number is expected to increase gradually to reach up to 150 tonnes in the coming days. Also, the demand for flowers, from households and educational institutions to make ‘poo kolams’ (flower carpets), also remains high in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
FESTIVE FACTS
· Rs 10 crore is recorded Onam business at Gani Market in Erode
· 240 shops in the Gani Market are doing roaring business
· 40% has been the increase in flower prices than last year
· Flower yield has dipped due to fungal infections
· Rs 250 to Rs 400 per kilogram is the price of Chrysanthemum varieties
· Rs 250 to Rs 350 per kg is the price range of button roses
· Rs 70 per kilogram is the cost of Marigolds
· 80 tonnes of flowers are sent daily to Kerala from Hosur
· Flower prices are expected to increase further ahead of the Onam festival