The prices of flowers have gone through roof in just two days ahead of Friday in Sravana maasam, an auspicious month in Telugu calendar. Hordes women flocked the wholesale flower market near Rajiv Gandhi Wholesale Vegetable Market on Wednesday to buy flowers for Varalakshmi vratham, which will be celebrated on coming Friday. But, to their dismay, the prices were beyond reach of common man.
The customers were seen haggling with traders as prices of chrysanthemum, rose, lily, marigold and jasmine went up many folds due to high demand. But, the vendors did not budge and the customers contended themselves with marigold, sold at Rs.50 or Rs.60 a kg.
While most varieties of flowers were earlier sold for Rs.40 or Rs.50 per kg, the prices on Wednesday varied between Rs.90 and Rs.600 a kg. The sale of chrysanthemum began at Rs.300 a kg and crossed Rs.400 a kg at one point of time. The roses (a pack of 100 flowers-small size) were sold at not less than Rs.90; the big roses (100 nos.) were sold at Rs.160. The jasmine (malle) and firecracker (kankambaram) were sold at a premium price of Rs.600 a kg and Rs.1,000 a kg.
The wholesale flower merchants’ association president Sheik Jani explains huge demand in the market and the shortage of flowers coming from other states like Karnataka because of the sravana maasam celebrations there too. The marriage season is yet another reason for the skyrocketing of prices, he observes.
The roses, cut flowers and chrysanthemum are imported from Bangalore.
The traders and commission agents are selling the flowers at a loss as the prices of Chrysanthemum in Karnataka also touched Rs.300 a kg. The yield of jasmine fell steeply this year. Just a couple of weeks ago, the jasmine was sold between Rs.15 and Rs.20 a kg. The jasmine arrivals have come down to mere 500 kg from 10 quintals per day, he explains.
