Flower growers of Gadkhali in Jashore did not get the targeted price of flowers for the spring festival and Valentine's Day due to corona pandemic this year.
They claim that per piece flower has been sold at three to five taka less than that of the last year.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the florist and business association say that due to lack of demand, flowers worth only Tk 50 million (5 crore) have been sold in the last four days this year ahead of Spring and Valentine's Day.
According to florists and traders, the flower market has started on February 08 ahead of the spring festival and Valentine's Day.
Today was the biggest market. Farmers came to Gadkhali market with different types of flowers including roses, gerberas, gladiolus, tuberose, corn calendula, chrysanthemum, and gypsies from this morning.
Flower market of Gadkhali was frozen due to sufficient flower product. At this market, wholesalers and retailers from different districts buy flowers from them till 10.30 am.
According to the farmers, roses were sold at a price of Tk 15 to 16 per piece at this time last year. They have also sold other flowers at high prices.
However, this year the price is a little less than last year. This is because the educational institutions are closed due to corona pandemic. However, they are satisfied with the sale.
A farmer Sumon Hossain said, 'Today I have brought three thousand roses. In the beginning, I sold flowers for Tk 10-11 each. Later I sold it Tk nine per piece'.
There are more flowers on the ground. I have sold flowers at good prices last year.
This year I was in trouble because of corona. However, he is satisfied with the good flower production and the price.
However, the price of flowers is much lower this time than last year. I thought I will sell roses in today's market at Tk 15-16 per piece. '
Another farmer Solaiman Hossain said, 'I have sold roses at Tak nine to 11 per piece. I have brought six thousand roses'.
This time the market price is less than last year. Last year I sold the rose at Tk 16 to 18 per piece.
The price that is available is also satisfactory. However, after Corona, it will not be possible to make a profit at this price. '
Aminur Rahman, a farmer, said, "Preparations were good ahead of spring and Valentine's Day. I was hoping to get a rose for Tk 15 per piece this year. But this year I got less than Tk three for per piece rose.
Other flowers like nightshade, gerbera, gladiolus are also getting lower prices than other years. Even then we were not disappointed. The market has been affected mainly due to the closure of schools and colleges for corona, he added.
Raihan Ali, a trader from Pabna, said, "Today I bought roses from this market at Tk eight to ten. I hoped I could buy roses for Tk 5-6.
But that did not happen. School-college closed again. In that case, I am a little skeptical about whether I will be able to buy the flower and sell it properly. '
Haider Ali, who hails from Shailkupa in Jhenaidah, said, "Every year I come to buy flowers before spring and Valentine's Day. I bought roses at Tk 8 to 12 per piece.
I bought different flowers including gerberas and gladiolus for Tk ten taka. As the school-college is closed, the sales will be less this time. So I'm a little scared, he added. '
Shahjahan Ali, a businessman, said, "I buy flowers and send them to different districts including Khulna, Bagerhat, and Faridpur." I Bought flowers of all items today.
Roses were sold up to Tk 18 per piece last year. This time I bought it Tk ten. Farmers have got lower prices this time, even then, not less. '
Abdur Rahim, president of the Bangladesh Flowers Society, said that due to lack of demand, the expected price of flowers could not be achieved this year centering the spring festival and Valentine's Day. Due to Corona, social programmes are closed all over the country, schools and colleges are closed also, he said.
Due to this, there is no demand for flowers. In the last four days, only Tk 50 million (5 crore) flowers have been sold. For this reason, we would like to demand from the government that in order to expand the potential flower market of Tk 15 billion (one and a half thousand crore), the state should announce the introduction of limited social programmes across the country, he added.
Our Jhenidah Correspondent adds: Florists in Jhenidah eye sale of the delicate produce worth around Tk 25 million on the occasions of Valentine's Day and International Mother Language Day this year, farmers said.
The flower farmers here were struggling with the adverse situations caused by Covid-19, which almost paralysed the sector. But now they are eying substantial profits.
Flowers are sold at exorbitant prices before the two Eids, Valentine's Day and International Mother Language Day.
Hence, flower growers here target these four days for maximum benefit from this product widely consumed by beauty seekers.
Together with other flowers, rose, the queen of flowers, tops the demand list with the Valentine's Day approaching as a day of universal love.
A single rose was selling here at Tk 20 to 25 in the local wholesale market here at Baliadanga bazaar under Kaliganj upazila in the district, said Osman Goni, a farmer of Trilochonur village under Kaliganj upazila.
Marigold, profusely used to make garlands to show respect to the language martyrs, becomes the dearest of all before the International Mother Language Day.
Round the year, farmers of this species of flower await this occasion. This time the demand for marigolds surpasses all other flowers grown in this area.
The price of a garland consisting of 600 to 650 big size marigolds was selling for Tk 160 to 170 in the wholesale market.
The minimum rate of a garland comprising 700 to 800 small size marigolds was Tk 120-130.
Farmers said a single garland would be sold for over Tk 250, a few days before February 21.
Besides rose and marigold, gerbera, liliam, chandramallika, gladiolus, and other flowers are produced in huge quantities here.
In Jhenidah flowers have been cultivated over 58 hectres of land. Most of the flowers are sent to different parts of the country including the capital city after meeting the local demand, according to Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources.
Around 5,000 people are directly or indirectly involved in the flower sector here. Nearly 2,500 women make money plucking flowers and making garlands, bringing extra comfort to their families.
Flower growers demanded that the government should build cold storage to save flowers from being destroyed.
They also had to sell them at nominal prices when there was low demand of the perishable item.
Bijoy Krishna Halder, DD (In-charge), DAE, Jhenidah said, "Flowers were not once considered a crop. They were then thought to be a commodity for beautification. But today flowers are a high-value crop. As floriculture is more profusely profitable, its farming is gradually increasing in the district."
