Flower sales are down during Onam season-due to...?
The cancellation of onam celebrations by the kerala government, in an effort to show support for the residents of Wayanad, a district severely affected by landslide damage in July, has severely affected flower farmers and traders in the area. They mentioned a decline in floral sales as well as prices. The district Flower Traders Association president, U v S Selva Kumar, stated: "We often receive large flower orders from government offices, colleges, and schools. However, because the kerala government decided to make the celebrations simpler, there were fewer instructions this time." He claims that the orange and yellow chendumalli sold for 80 per kilogram the previous year. "The flower cost fifty dollars a kilogram this year. Vadamalli was priced at 80 per kilogram this year, compared to 120 last year. Compared to previous year, roses were sold for between 160 and 200 per kilogram this year, the speaker stated.
During onam in kerala, a customary floral arrangement known as "Athapookalam" is created using an array of vivid and colorful flowers. Large amounts of chendumalli from Osur and Rayakottai, roses from Osur, nerium (arali) from Salem, malli from Sathyamangalam, and vadamalli from Thondamuthur are among the flowers that the district's flower market records arriving during the festival season. Based on the orders, these flowers are then dispatched to Thrissur, Palakkad, Trivandrum, Kottayam, and Ernakulam. Flowers are in high demand during this time of year, which drives up prices and makes a profit for farmers and traders.
"We typically deliver ten tons of flowers every day in honor of onam, a ten-day festival. But this year, we only shipped five tonnes every day. According to Kottai Hakkim, vice-president of the coimbatore Flower Traders Welfare Association, "sales were down 50% and farmers did not receive good prices because there were fewer orders from Kerala."
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