KARUR: Flower prices have soared ahead of the Varalakshmi and Onam festivals on Friday and Saturday, with hundreds of people thronging the Mariamman flower market near the Karur Railway Junction.
The cost of all flower varieties has doubled owing to the high demand amidst the festival season. Although traders were happy with the price hike, garland makers and the public were disappointed as it left a huge hole in their pockets.
"How can we spend double the amount to buy flowers and expect double the amount from people for our garlands?" questioned Madhavi, a disappointed garland maker from Gandhigramam.
"Last week, the price of jasmine was just Rs 300 to Rs 400 per kg. But today (Thursday) it has gone past Rs 700 which is double the cost of last week's prices. The traders have been randomly setting the prices and increasing the cost of flowers according to their whims. Many florists and garland makers are already finding it hard to make ends meet owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this situation, this sudden price hike amidst the festival season has hurt us a lot," she concluded.
Karur District Wholesale Flower Traders Welfare Association secretary Mohan told The New Indian Express, "It's true that the prices of flowers have increased drastically this week. There are many factors behind the price hike which many aren't aware of. The inflow of flower load to the local market has dropped recently. Apart from that, temples were shut down earlier which eventually reduced the flower prices. But as the temples have been reopened and festivals are approaching, the demand has grown large. As there isn't much supply of flowers despite the heavy demand this week, the prices have gone up. The prices will eventually come down next week once the supply increases."