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In peak season, Indian flower merchants pluck loss

The 'Sahalag' or wedding season this year is not as rosy as previous years with business dipping more than 50% in the city's flower market after demonetisation of Rs 500 (7.25 USD) and Rs 1,000 (14.50 USD) notes. With customers cutting down on use of loose cash, vendors are in for dismal sales. Unsold flowers are drying or getting thrown away. Flower growers on the other hand are ending up selling off their produce at throwaway prices, in a season where business otherwise is blooming.

"Business has been down since November 9. In the morning, I bring my regular 10kg flowers to sell but by next morning, they dry up and have to be discarded," said Raja, a retailer in Chowk's Kanchan market. Another retailer Samiullah Khan said, "From 'jaimaal' to decoration, business is usually to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh (2200 USD) to Rs 2 lakh (2900 USD) but this time it has come down to even less than Rs 50,000 (725 USD)."

With no flower vendor accepting old notes, customers are being sent back. "Who will take these notes from us," questioned Mohammad Abdullah, a wholesaler. "If we stand in bank queues, who will manage our business? After a day, when the flowers have dried up and cannot be used again, we have to dump them in the canal," he added.

Read more at The Times of India
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