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For this year's Valentine's Day, rose shipments from India have grown by up to 15 per cent owing to the rise in demand and increase in production from new areas around Pune and South Gujarat. Going by the shipment trends, total exports for the season could be around 13 million stems, says Mr Praveen Sharma, President of the Pune-based Indian Society of Floriculture Professionals.
Exporters have seen improved orders as Valentine's Day this year falls on a working day, triggering higher sales. For a seasonal industry like floriculture, demand mainly spurts during Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mothers Day.
The demand has come from traditional markets such as Europe, Australia, West Asia and Japan. Besides, some exporters, like Mr V.H. Prasad of the Bangalore-based Blooms and Greens Pvt Ltd, have tried to tap the US market for the first time. India accounts for less than one per cent of the global floriculture trade, which is dominated by Kenya, Ethiopia, Ecuador and Colombia. Regions around Bangalore and Pune are the major production areas for cut-flowers like roses and carnations.
India's floriculture exports stood at Rs 286.45 crore in 2010-11.
“Exports from Bangalore this Valentine's Day were around 4 million stems, about 10-15 per cent more than last year,” said Dr Jayaprakash Rao, General Secretary, of South India Floriculture Association (SIFA). “The weather was good for production and so also the demand,” he added.
However, Mr Prasad feels that the intense cold wave in Europe could possibly affect distribution of flowers headed to the auction centre in the Netherlands. Majority of the exporters have established their links with buyers in all the major markets and ship the flowers directly.
Better realisations
SIFA's Mr Rao said the realisations will be good this year as orders have been booked at prices higher by 10-15 per cent. Besides, a weaker rupee will also boost the realisations this year, he said. He estimates that growers' realisations could range from Rs 12 to Rs 25 per stem depending on the quality and length.
The quality of Indian roses is better this year, aided by favourable weather conditions around Pune, Mr Sharma said. This, in turn, has helped fetch better prices. He said that around 100 acres of new area has come up under floriculture around Nashik and Kolhapur in Maharashtra and in South Gujarat.
However, things are all not that rosy for the cut-flower growers especially around Bangalore, who continue to reel under the impact of high input costs such as power and freight charges. Besides, the rising labour costs are compounding the woes for the growers, who are seen pruning their output.
vishwa@thehindu.co.in
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