Price of jasmine flower has shot up in the last couple of weeks following sharp fall in yield and pest attack in the wake of huge deposit of mist in the last fortnight.
During the ‘Deepavali’ season, the price registered a steep dip, as most small-time merchants remained off the shop and the price dwindled to an all-time low of Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 a kg. “Now, it has shot up to Rs. 400 a kg,” says R. Thangavel, a farmer of Irumbuliyur near here. He points out that he could harvest five kg only from his fields as against 50 kg a couple of months ago.
Another farmer P.C. Subbia Pillai of Tiruvarangapatti near here said he had to take extra care in controlling pest attack. With the onset of monsoon, the pest attack has been a problem for the jasmine growers.
Sattara street in Srirangam is the major market for flowers in the central region. Wholesale dealers point out that the arrivals had registered a serious dip in the recent weeks.
The wholesale dealers cater to needs of retail vendors in Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and part of Tiruvarur districts. They point out that the price has shot up to Rs.500 a kg. The Tamil month of ‘Karthigai’ brings with it a huge demand for flowers, particularly jasmine. But, it is only during this month that the yield registers a sudden fall.
A progressive farmer of Puliyur village, A. Nagarajan, points out that ‘Karthigai’ also marks the decline in the yield of the flowers resulting in rise in its price. The quality would come down due to the pest attack and other factors, chiefly mist, he added.