DHARMAPURI: Flower cultivators from Dharmapuri are worried due to the low pricing of chrysanthemum in the district. Currently, 1 kg of chrysanthemum is priced between Rs 7 and Rs 10, causing massive losses to cultivators. Farmers attributed the low price to recent rainfalls, resulting in bountiful yield. Usually, chrysanthemum is priced at Rs 60 to Rs 90 per kg.
According to sources, farmers from Bommidi, Marandahalli, Nallampalli and Palacode in Dharmapuri cultivate flowers like chrysanthemum, firecracker, jasmine, button rose, among others, and chrysanthemum is cultivated in an area of over 1,768 acres. However, over the past few years, chrysanthemum prices in the private market has been plummeting and farmers are unable to find buyers due to the surplus production.
R Kaliappan, a farmer from Bommidi, said, “This year has been a bad year for flower cultivators, especially in Dharmapuri. Due to the rainfall, many fields were damaged and even during the festive season, we couldn’t make much profit. Due to the surplus rainfall, more cultivators are growing flowers, especially chrysanthemum, due to which the production has gone up and hence the prices have come down. The condition is so bad that now many farmers don’t even pluck the flowers.”
Another farmer, S Kannan from Marandahalli, said, “In Dharmapuri there are many private markets which trade flowers and each market have a surplus amount of chrysanthemum. We usually receive demands for 900 to 1,000 kg of chrysanthemum from the Dharmapuri market near the bus stand, but this year due to the surplus production, we are getting demands of just over three tonnes. Some farmers bring the flowers to the market, but due to the lack of demand they abandon it there.”
Commenting on other flower prices, vendors in the market told TNIE, “Apart from chrysanthemum, other flowers, including, button rose, Kakadhan Malli, Gundu Malli are also hit. But while prices of other flowers have reduced by 10 to 20%, chrysanthemum price is the lowest. On the other hand, the price of firecracker has bounced back, due to less arrival.”