MADURAI: The Madurai Malligai (jasmine) is one of the few iconic things that define the Madurai district's identity, the market for the flower is still confined to specific muhurthams and auspicious days, leaving the farmers and traders in a fix. One day, the prices would skyrocket up to `3,000 per kg, and the next day it would hit rock bottom at prices per kg of jasmine sold at not more than `250. In this context, the flower export traders and jasmine farmers in the district have come forward to request the state government to take steps in boosting and stabilising the market.
Nearly 6,000 hectares of land are being used for jasmine cultivation in Madurai and several other southern districts. From small street vending shops to international markets, the Madurai Malli sees quite a demand when it comes to sales. In the recent past, however, the prices for the flower have been constantly fluctuating. At `600 per kg of jasmine, a slight improvement was recorded on Wednesday and Thursday after the prices have been fluctuated between `260 per kg on Sunday and `400 per kg on Friday.
A traditional jasmine farmer from the Usilampatti area, Marudhupandian, observed that from harvesting to packing, which is done manually, takes a chunk of time and money from our pockets. "Though the prices are decent during muhurtham and auspicious days, we have to keep our fingers crossed on getting a decent price on the remaining days. Over the past few days, the prices have remained between `500 and `300 per kg. We hope actions would be taken towards stabilising the situation, and provide a prominent pay for the harvest," he added.
Earlier speaking, the president of the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries Dr N Jegatheesan stated that, in terms of export, a total of more than three tonnes of flowers is being exported to the international markets on a daily basis. He also added that the production has to be increased to cater to the needs of industrial procurement. "At present, factories have been procuring jasmine for hardly 100 days in a year due to high prices during seasons of high demand. Under the Mission Madurai Malli initiative by the state government, action could be taken towards improving the availability of Malli throughout the year. This would regulate the demand and improve domestic and international trade," he added.
S Ramachandran, an exporter of flowers and the president of Mattuthavani Flower Market Vendors' Association said apart from the local markets, the Madurai malli has a prominent demand in the international markets. "Pest issues and logistics remain a major hurdle for the growth of international jasmine traders. Exported jasmine is often rejected citing the prevalence of pests. Action must be taken to resolve the issue. In terms of logistics issues, action should be taken towards increasing international services (cargo) from Madurai, which would greatly improve flower export while reducing transportation costs. At present, the exporters have to travel to the Chennai airport or other international airports in the neighbouring states for using air cargo services to transport their products to other countries," he said.
Official sources from the horticulture department said the Mission Madurai Malli project announced by the TN government in the agri-budget is in its DPR stages, and that action will soon be taken towards resolving the issues.