Big demand for flowers as Tamil Nadu readies for Vinayaga Chaturthi today

MADURAI: Flowers of all hues and shapes and heads of people jostling to buy them are all that you can see at the famous Mattuthavani flower market here ahead of Vinayagar Chathurthi, but an increase in demand has meant that all cannot buy what they wish for.

Supply and demand issues have led to a rise in prices of several flowers used for the auspicious occasion. High price or not people had to buy at least the basic requirements of flowers and others to make their Vinayaka Chathurthi special, making it brisk business all around.

N Balaji Navaneetha Krishnan, secretary, Madurai Flower Merchants and Commission Agents Association, Mattuthavani on Friday said prices of flowers including jasmine, the famous ‘Madurai Malli’, Pichi and Mullai have doubled over the last week. A kilo of Jasmine, the much sought-after flower, is priced ranging from Rs 700 to Rs 800, he said. The price of other varieties including Pichi and Mullai is Rs 700 a kilo, traders said.

Last week, these varieties were sold at prices ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 400, but festival demand has led to peaking of the price. Apart from the Vinayaka Chathurthi, these days also coincide with the muhurtham season, which makes flowers dearer. Price rise might last for another few days until Sunday, traders said. Many vendors are keeping their fingers crossed for even better sales during the festive occasion of ‘Onam’ in Kerala, coming next week, even though it might be a low-key affair given the catastrophic landslide that occurred in Wayanad last July and the whole state yet to recover completely from the mourning. Traders predict their Kerala sales might be hit by 5 to 10 per cent.