BENGALURU: Prices of fruits and flowers have skyrocketed in the city, thanks to festivals such as Nagapanchami and Friday’s Varamahalakshmi Vratha and the ongoing Independence Day Flower Show.
Traders at KR Market, Madiwala and Russel Market attributed this not only to the festival season, but also to the incessant rain in the past few days which has affected floriculture and horticulture across the state.
The prices of flowers and fruits started increasing after the Aashada month, which ended on August 4. While Kanakambara now costs Rs 3,000 a kg, jasmine and chrysanthemum are sold for Rs 1,200 and Rs 300 a kg, respectively, the traders said. “The prices usually remain high during the festival season every year. Because of the short supply of fruits and flowers, their prices have skyrocketed this time,” GN Diwakar, president of KR Market Flower Merchants’ Association, said.
He said farmers could not harvest flowers on time because of incessant rain. The farmers in the Gauribidanur region on Andhra-Karnataka border, who grow Kanakambara, are the worst affected.
“Kanakambara is in great demand because it is offered to Varamahalakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity,” Diwakar said.
However, price rise seems to have not deterred people from buying flowers and fruits. They were seen in large numbers on Wednesday at KR Market, Madivala and Yelahanka markets making purchases for Friday’s Varamahalakshmi Vratha.
People thronged KR Market to buy bananas, apples, flowers and puja items for Friday’s puja. Prices of apples hovered between Rs 120 and Rs 200 a kg in wholesale stores. In the retail market, they were sold for higher prices, said Humayun Pasha, member of the KR Market Traders’ Association.