The South India Floriculture Association has declared that the flower business is looking at a loss of nearly ₹100 crore this season. Flower growers are distressed seeing their blooms going to waste. Shrinivas, a flower vendor from Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Flower Mandi of KR Market is a wholesale flower dealer. He sources his flowers from growers directly from Mysore, Mandya, and the outskirts of Bengaluru including Devanahalli, Anekal, Bidigere and border areas of Tamil Nadu.
“Flowers do not come under essential commodities,” Shrinivas says. “The lock-down means there are no weddings or celebrations. Flower growers in rural districts of Bengaluru are opening their field for cattle to graze. Lakhs of flowers are plucked but do not reach towns and cities for sale. April to September is peak time for the flower business.”
The Bengaluru-based, Seed Paper India, that manufactures organic handmade paper, has stepped in to help. “We are manufacturing flower embedded handmade paper to help the flower industry,” says Roshan Ray, Founder of Seed Paper India.
