HYDERABAD: Marigold flowers, which were priced at Rs 5 per kg till last week, were sold for Rs 150 in the city on Thursday.While the market for firecrackers this Diwali is said to be dull owing to multiple factors, flower sellers in the city are a happy lot. Many are forced to buy Chinese flowers owing to high prices of indigenous flowers.Though the prices of almost all flowers in the wholesale market here have shot up by a shocking 30 times over last week’s prices owing to growing demand on account of Diwali, flower vendors are doing a brisk business.
According to flower vendors at the Gudimalkapur wholesale market, the demand for Banti (Marigold) and Chemanti (Chrysanthemum) has increased but, due to lack of production here, the vendors are forced to depend on imports from Maharashtra.
“The incessant rains have damaged most of the flower harvest in the state and we are importing flowers from Maharashtra and Karnataka. Hence the high prices,” explained N Sekhar Reddy of NPR Flowers atthe Gudimalkapur wholesale market.
The market on Wednesday received around 130 to 140 tonnes of Banti and 30 tons of Chemanti flowers. Despite good arrivals, the increasing demand has pushed flower prices sky-high.
On Wednesday Marigold flowers were being sold for prices ranging between Rs130 and Rs150 per kg as against `5 per kg last week while Chrysanthemum was sold by the merchants at Rs 100 to Rs150 which otherwise is hardly `20 per kg.
The high prices, however, have not dampened the mood of the buyers and a record sale is being witnessed at city markets. Many customers could not afford to buy flowers to offer to the Goddess Mahalakshmi on Deepavali day.
“The increasing prices of flowers are forcing us to prefer artificial flowers which
are quite cheaper,” said M Sudhakar, a resident of Mehdipatnam.
During Dasara, the market was completely different. “There were hardly any takers and we were forced to dispose of tons of flowers. But, now, it looks like there won’t be any leftover stock and we may even have to send back customers empty-handed,” Reddy said.
“Why do you blame us? We are just sellers and do not determine the prices. We are ready to sell even at Rs 10 per kg if suppliers give us flowers at a price below that,” said G Venkanna, another trader.