Journalism of Courage
Along with pulses, this Dussehra, the colourful marigold will also pinch the pockets of Puneities. The bright golden flower, which is synonymous with the festive season, has seen a three-fold hike in its market price with both traders and farmers blaming the dip in the supply.
N D Ghule, head of flower market at the Gultekdi Marketyard, said that on Wednesday, a day before Dussehra, around 1.75 lakh kgs of the flower had arrived in the market. Last year, during the same period, around 3 lakh kgs of flower had arrived. “For the last few days, the price of flower is hovering between Rs 80-100 per kg. Last year, it was Rs 30-50 per kg,” he said.
Ghule said that unseasonal rains in Gondia, along with drought in Marathwada, is responsible for the destruction of the crop.
Pune’s flower market is one of the largest such market in the state. Flowers, both loose and cut, arrive here from across the state. Traders from Mumbai, Konkan and other states also purchase flowers from here.
Figures show that this year, around 12 lakh hectares of land came under floriculture in the state, which produces eight per cent of the total flowers produced in the country. Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Gondia and parts of Marathwada account for major production of marigold.
Sagar Bhosale, a trader with the Gultekdi Marketyard, said that in the last two days, the price of marigold has touched the Rs 100 per kg mark. “Last year, prices touched the Rs 100 per kg mark only a day before Dussehra. The prices have been generally high for the past one week or so,” he said.
Manjiri Agate, a resident of Kothrud, said, “The price of orange marigold flower was Rs 80 per kg while the price of yellow marigold was Rs 120. I bought the flowers three days before Dussehra because the rates soar a day before the festival. However, the quality of flowers is down.”
