Wholesale rate of flowers drop as heavy rains play spoilsport

While farmers are struggling with crop loss, demand has also fallen considerably

The festival season is not bringing much cheer to either flower growers or wholesalers who were banking on volume of sales to tide them through Dasara. While farmers are struggling with crop loss, the lack of supply has done little to increase prices as demand has also dropped considerably. Since Ganesh Chathurthi, the wholesale rates of flowers have been dropping steadily as rains play spoilsport.

Most retail vendors sell flowers on the road, but have stopped doing so due to the rains. People, too, are not buying as much even when compared to 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was more prevalent.

Compared to last year, the rate of flowers is very low this Dasara season, said G.M. Divakar from the K.R. Market Flower Merchants’ Association. In the wholesale market, jasmine flowers are selling at just ₹400/kg, while the same time last year, a kg of jasmine commanded around ₹800. Similarly, kanakambara (crossandra or firecracker flower) is selling at around ₹200/kg, compared to ₹800/kg during the festive season in 2020. The wholesale rates for shevantige (chrysanthemum) and chandu hoova (marigold) is around ₹50-₹60 a kg.