NAGAPATTINAM: The hike in prices of jasmine in the market ahead of Deepavali has had minimal impact on the livelihoods of jasmine farmers in Vedaranyam who are still recovering from the impact of cyclone Gaja and the pandemic.
The prices of jasmine are skyrocketing everywhere across Tamil Nadu. The flowers are being sold for nearly Rs 1,500 a kilo in markets. But the rates for which jasmines are procured from the farmers are only between Rs 250 and Rs 300.
"We do not get to make demands about the prices. We know the rate it would sell in markets. But those prices do not profit us, especially after what we went through, during the Gaja Cyclone and pandemic," said R Sivaji, a farmer from Karuppambulam.
Vedaranyam block is the only block in Nagapattinam that is known for horticulture and floriculture. The farmers here depend on growing flowers as the block is not very apt for agriculture due to less availability of Cauvery water.
Vedaranyam is one of the primary producers of sambac jasmine. The flowers are cultivated in Panjanathikulam, Thennadar, Kuravapulam, Karuppampulam, Maruthur, Kadinalvayal, Vaimedu, Thagattur, and Annapettai villages.
The flowers are usually plucked every day from 4 am to 6 am. The procurers come in mini-trucks to collect it from households in villages around Vedaranyam. The trucks then go to places such as Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, and Mayiladuthurai, where it is sold to florists who sell them at jacked-up prices.
"This year has been hard for us. Our sales were nil at one point. Most months were spent battling the pandemic and lockdown. We were dumping flowers a few months ago because we couldn't sell them. Many of us are yet to recover from the after-effects of Gaja Cyclone in 2018. But we still did not hike the prices. We sold at the usual price of Rs 250 to Rs 300," said R Rathinavel, a flower farmer.