COIMBATORE: As couples gear up to celebrate Valentine's Day, a surge in domestic demand has sent rose prices soaring, giving a much-needed boost to floriculturists in Hosur, Tamil Nadu's flower-growing hub.
For the first time in years, the domestic market has outshone exports, sending farm-gate prices skyrocketing for Valentine's Day, which falls on February 14.
“It’s unusual for the domestic market to outperform exports during Valentine’s Day. Since the first week of February, a red rose fetched around Rs 32 at the farm gate and touched a peak of ₹52 per stem in the Bengaluru auction market. Even lower-grade flowers were sold for up to Rs 20, which itself is a high price,” said Bala Siva Prasad, Director of the National Horticulture Board.
The loss in production has been offset by the sharp rise in domestic prices. While export demand remains high, the domestic market has offered better potential this year
The surge comes because of a sharp drop in production. Prolonged cold weather has taken a toll on the yield, with production dropping by nearly 40 per cent.
“Typically, the Hosur region produces around one crore stems for Valentine’s Day. This year, production dropped to just 60 to 70 lakh stems,” Prasad said.
The decline in yield is not just local, as other flower-producing nations have also reported similar setbacks due to extreme weather. But the loss in production has been offset by the sharp rise in domestic prices. While export demand remains high, the domestic market has offered better potential this year.
Farmers say the local market has proved more rewarding and less complicated. “Unlike exports, which involve multiple intermediaries and strict quality standards, domestic sales allow growers to sell directly and almost every variety finds a buyer,” Prasad added.
“For exports, only premium varieties are accepted. But in the domestic market, everything sells. That’s why many growers chose not to focus on exports this year,” said H Manivasagan, a farmer from Hosur.
The boom has been further fuelled by the growing presence of online flower delivery platforms, which are sourcing in bulk from farmers to meet festive demand. The ongoing wedding season has also added to the spike in consumption.
As a result, only regular exporters continued shipments abroad this season. Those who usually turn to exports specifically for Valentine’s Day stayed back. “Last year, exports stood at around 22 to 25 lakh stems. This year, it has dropped to 10 to 15 lakh stems. This despite the arrival of Chinese New Year, next week, when there used to be a surge in demand in South East Asean countries like Singapore and Malaysia, where there is a large population of Chinese,” farmers said.