Flower prices surge ahead of Diwali amid natural calamities

Ahmedabad: Diwali is around the corner; obviously, the demand for different flowers such as roses, marigolds, and chrysanthemums is increasing nationwide. During the festival of lights, homes and places of worship are decorated by different colours of flowers, making the atmosphere full of fragrance. The flower supply has dampened due to unseasonal rain, which has surged prices. The prices of roses and marigolds are expected to double within a couple of days.

The Kashmiri rose usually lasts long and is used in puja, costing around Rs 100 per kg. Kamlesh Mali, president of the Surat Flower Market Association, shared that poor-quality flowers cannot be sold for puja, pushing prices even higher. Florists are expecting that the price of marigold will surge from Rs 60 to Rs 200 per kg by Diwali. Rizwan Ahmed Shahid Arab, president of the Ahmedabad Wholesale Flower Merchants’ Association, explained that the recent rains have affected the supply.

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Farmers are on the receiving end. Rohit Patel, a farmer from Gujarat who grows Kashmiri roses, said he has never seen a rainy season like this in his 62 years. Consistent rains for four months did all the damage to his flower cultivation.

In Jamalpur’s flower market in Ahmedabad, desi roses are currently being sold at Rs 100 per kg, but traders think that their prices are likely to shoot up soon due to high demand and low supply. Rose prices reached to Rs 800 per kg in 2021 during Diwali. Jalal Shaikh, a wholesaler at Jamalpur, said the constant humidity and unseasonal rain, along with transport issues, have worsened the situation. Humidity and heat reduce the quality of flowers, and last week’s rain further deteriorated the rose crops.