Traders crestfallen as flower prices wilt

Hyderabad: Rekha, a resident of Khairatabad, who visited the Indra Reddy flower market at Gudimalkapur was in for a pleasant surprise. “I wanted to buy 10 kg of flowers but returned with 22 kg. Thanks to the fall in price.” Last year, a kg of marigold, a must for Bathukamma festival, was being sold at Rs 40 was now available for just Rs 10. Like Rekha, several customers returned with a smile.

What is the impact on flower business after Telangana government decided not to celebrate the festival? On asking Subhash Reddy, president, Flower Market Association, he said, “There is no loss for the flower vendors in the market, in fact there is no impact on flower business whether the State celebrates the Bathukamma festival or does not. It is the plastic flowers that are the real cause for the losses for florists,” he added.

Md Younus, owner of Tawakkal Flower Mart, stated, “There is no doubt that during TRS government the sale has doubled as a number of officials and locals were buying flowers on a large scale.” In the previous years, several departments in the State government sourced flowers from the market. Merchants said the price of the flowers increases or decreases depending on the supply and demand of flowers. P Malla Reddy of shop no 62 said, “The business this time is very low, the Marigold which was 40 rupees kg last year is now just 10 rupees.”

Hansiya, a female merchant who is selling at the market for the past 10 years stated, “I am sitting under the sun since morning and was excited about the sale due to Bathukamma but I couldn’t earn more than 200 rupees since the morning.”