Journalism of Courage
Ahead of Ganpati, excess supply crashes flower prices
Loose flowers such as marigold (zendu) and chrysanthemum (shevanti) are currently changing hands for just Rs 5-20 per kg at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), traders said.
Santosh Kumbharkar, who heads the APMC’s flower market, said, “The price crash has hit loose flowers hard, even as cut flowers, typically bought for decoration, have held relatively steady." (File Photo)
Pune’s wholesale flower market is seeing a steep price crash just weeks before Ganpati, as an unusually large harvest has flooded the market with more flowers than the current demand.
Loose flowers such as marigold (zendu) and chrysanthemum (shevanti) are currently changing hands for just Rs 5-20 per kg at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), traders said. Only a week ago, the same flowers were fetching Rs 40-50 per kg.
Speaking to the Indian Express, Santosh Kumbharkar, who heads the APMC’s flower market, said, “The price crash has hit loose flowers hard, even as cut flowers, typically bought for decoration, have held relatively steady. The current wholesale rates for marigold are now between Rs 5-10 per kg, daisy (bijli flower) for Rs 10-30 per kg, and chrysanthemum for Rs 10-20 per kg.”
“This is the first time in August, right before Ganpati, that flower supply has been this high. The demand is expected to pick up as the festival nears, and that heavy rain in the coming days could disrupt supply and push prices back up,” Kumbharkar added. He also pointed out that this year’s flower crop has been good.
Good weather, poor demand
Another flower trader, Sandip Kamthe, attributed the bumper harvest to weather conditions last month. “Lower rainfall and longer hours of sunshine helped the flowers grow better and reduced crop damage, resulting in a much larger yield, even as buyer demand stayed weak, driving prices down.”
Kamthe said, “The mismatch between supply and demand has gotten so extreme that some traders have simply been discarding excess flowers, unable to find buyers for them. It remains to be seen how prices move once the Ganpati season is in full swing.”
Not every flower has been affected, though. Kamthe said, “Sunflower prices have stayed steady, at Rs 70-120 for a bunch of five.”
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Traders recalled that during last year’s Ganpati festival, chrysanthemum had sold for around Rs 120 per kg. This year, given the surplus in the market, they expect prices to likely be lower.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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