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CALCUTTA, INDIA, October 15, 2004: Courtesy the festivals and the wedding season, flower prices have hit the roof. To top it all, came last week’s deluge, preceded by a long spell of rain in September, destroying more than half the state’s produce. “Around 13,490 metric tones of flowers, worth US$1.9 million, have perished in the deluge,” said Sudhanshu Sil, Member of Parliament and chairman of Mullickghat Phoolbazar Parichalan Samiti. The deluge had inundated 2,698 hectares in the two Midnapores, Nadia, Birbhum, North and South 24-Parganas and Howrah. Around 3,000 farmers and sellers bring their produce daily to Mullickghat, the largest wholesale flower market in eastern India. Most of them are now busy taking stock of their losses. With the festival favorites like lotus, marigold, jaba, aparajita and dopati having taken a severe beating, decorators are a discontented lot. “The price of lotus — a must for Durga puja (worship) — has risen manifold. My expenses, too, will see a matching rise,” said Arup Nag, general secretary of the Decorators Samannyaya Samiti. The wholesale price of roses has shot up from $1.14 per 100 pieces to $3.18. “In November, it will cross the $6.81 mark,” said Sadhan Das, secretary of the Mullickbazar Phool Chashi O Bikreta Union. Coloured Gladiolii, which now sell at $1.59 a dozen at the wholesale market, are likely to cost $3.41 by November-end. The rains have also played spoilsport with the export market.

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