Indian rose exports have plummeted by as much as 34 per cent, due to Valentine’s Day falling on a weekend.
The South India Floriculture Association has said that exports would have been much better if Valentine’s had fallen on a working day.
Nadeem Ahmad, president of the association, said: “Exports could have been better, but last minute orders are still trickling in.”
Exporter said most of the offices in Europe and Australia stay closed on weekends, so a huge market of working professionals gifting flowers to colleagues in offices stands untapped this year.
K.S Ramakrishna, managing director of Karuturi Floritech, said: “We have to take such a hit once in five years. We expect to make up for this year’ shortfall next year as Valentine’s Day falls on Monday.”
There is good news, however, some Indian firms have managed to get their flowers directly into UK retailers such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda bypassing the Dutch auction route.
The retailers have bought almost 700,000 stems from Karuturi Floritech this year. And Ramakrishna feels this is a shape of things to come. He said: “We have gained a toe-hold in the supermarket segment, which we have been working for, for the last seven years. Direct selling assures the growers of a fixed price for their produce unlike the auction system where the uncertainty is getting fair realisations is high.”
Flowers shipped through the Bangalore Air Cargo Complex up to February 8 stood at 137 tonnes, compared to the 2003 figure of 207t.
