Demand for flowers goes up following marriage season and Valentine's Day

Demand for flowers has gone up following the marriage season and Valentine's Day, driving up prices sharply and benefitting growers in Himachal Pradesh, according to traders.

The flower business has picked up due to the marriage season and Valentine's Day, the demand and rates have almost doubled, says Amit Sood, the owner of Universal Traders.

Flowers are being supplied to Punjab, Delhi and other states. Growers selling carnation at ₹400 per bunch and more nowadays against the usual price of ₹200-250 per bunch in the wholesale market, he told PTI.

The retail price of red roses has shot up from ₹30 to ₹50 per stick and is further expected to rise due to Valentine's Day on Friday, said Shishu Patial, who is growing roses in over one canal area in Lambi village block in Kangra district.

The flower business has blossomed with sales ranging between ₹80 crore to ₹100 crore annually and over 3000 families are directly involved in floriculture, Vinay Kumar said and added that eight farmer cooperative societies working in Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Shimla and Solan for production and marketing of flowers in state. Flowers of different varieties grown in the state include Carnations, Chrysanthemums, Roses, Lilium, Gerbera, Marigolds and Gladiolus.

About 285 hectares area is under floriculture in Himachal Pradesh out of which 112 hectares area is under protected cultivation. Flowers are grown mainly in Sirmaur, Mandi, Kangra, Shimla, Solan and Kullu districts, Director Horticulture Vinay Kumar told the PTI on Thursday.

People are getting inclined towards flower cultivation due to various subsidies, said officials of the horticulture department.