NAGERCOIL: The price of jasmine is at an all-time high of `2,000 per kg following sharp decline in production, which is attributed to the adverse weather condition prevailing in Kanyakumari and nearby areas.
A walk down the Thovalai flower market in Kanyakumari is sure to make one jump out of shock, for jasmine, or the common malli, which would be available for `200 a kg on normal days, is priced ten times higher. Price of its variant, the kaatu malli, also skyrocketed from `100/kg to `900/kg on Saturday. Prices of other flowers commonly used in garlands have also gone up drastically. Normally, malli and pichi poo are supplied from Radhapuram, Avaraikulam, Sankarankovil and Tenkasi to the Thovalai flower market, which is located some 12 kilometres from Nagercoil.
However, these days only a prescribed quantity of flowers is being supplied to the market. Taking into account the huge wastage of flowers during winter (December and January), farmers have presumably cut down cultivation of these flowers.
Justifying the increase in prices, Mahadevan, a wholesale merchant in Thovalai market, said supply of flowers had reduced as in the past due to the early onset of winter.
However, with many marriages scheduled in these months causing a spike in demand for malli and picchi poo, the prices has seen a spurt, he added.