HYDERABAD: Demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes has withered flower trade in a big way in Hyderabad.
Flower growers and traders have plunged into a state of depression as flowers are being thrown away at wholesale flower market at Gudimalkapur, as there are no consumers due to shortage of currency.
"The number of buyers has steeply decreased after Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes ban. We are not getting buyers and sales are not occurring, though we have decreased prices completely. Sales have decreased by more than 70 percent," worried A Praveen Kumar, a flower seller at Gudimalkapur wholesale flower market.
Gudimalkapur wholesale flower market is the biggest market in Hyderabad and it gets flowers from places like Chevella, Vikarabad, Shankarpally and other areas surrounding Hyderabad. Some flowers are
being brought from even places like Bangalore. But post demonetisation, this renowned wholesale flower market has turned into death spot for flowers being brought from various areas.
"While cost of marigold was about Rs 40 to 50 before demonetisation, now it has decreased to Rs 10 to 15. Even at this price there are no buyers. While we have undergone lot of struggles to grow these
flowers, even for bringing them hear we have to incur expenditure. What shall we do rather than throw them away, as they cannot be stored and perish anyway, if not sold on the same day, when they are brought from farm to market," Mandal Balaraju, a marigold flower grower from Kesaram village near Chevella.
Flowers being perishable products, most of the produce, which is not sold, is being dumped as waste at the Gudimalkapur wholesale flower market itself.