With onam nearing, flower vendors have expressed anguish that the flower trade in the flower market has been badly affected due to factors such as online sale of flowers and direct procurement from farmers.
Coimbatore: Flower vendors, including Chendumalli, Vadamalli, Kozhikode and others, said with concern that even though the cancellation of flowers was high, all flowers that were sold for Rs 100 are now being sold for just Rs 20 or Rs 30.
With onam, one of the major festivals of Malayalees, approaching, the cultivation of flowers is progressing rapidly in various places. The business of flowers starts a week before the onam festival day.
As far as Coimbatore is concerned, chendumalli flowers, including Kozhikode and Vadamalli, which are important for Onam Panditikai from Thondamuthur, Vadivelampalayam and other places, will be cultivated and exported to neighbouring states and neighbouring districts including Kerala.
In particular, tons of flowers will be exported from the flower market in coimbatore flower market area.A large number of people from Coimbatore come here to buy flowers.
In this situation, the flower vendors are worried that the flower trade in the flower market has been badly affected due to various reasons including online sale and direct procurement from farmers.
Ayyappan, treasurer of coimbatore district flower trade association, said, He said that for the last 3-4 years, the flower trade on the occasion of Onam has not been up to the mark and the business has changed after the covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier, flowers would be exported from Coimbatore to neighbouring states and neighbouring districts, including Kerala, he said, adding that now they go to the place where flowers are produced and buy flowers.
Moreover, the market business has been affected in the last few years as the youth who have lost their jobs, have started doing flower business as a group and the sale is taking place through online mode, he said. "It is difficult to get 30 tonnes to 40 tonnes of flowers now beyond the time when flowers are exported up to 300 tonnes," he said.
Moreover, roadside flower vendors are doing more business than they do by paying taxes inside the building constructed by the corporation, he said. He said that all the flowers sold specifically for Onam festival including Chendumalli, Vadamalli, Kozhikondai, etc., have come in large numbers. "All the flowers that are sold for Rs. 100 are being sold for just Rs. 20.30 and i don't know what will happen to the business with only a week left for onam pandit," he said.