The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : We are on thorny path: flower sellers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 28, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

We are on thorny path: flower sellers

— Photo: M. Srinath

Tough knitting: Flowers vendors making a garland in a shop.

The all-round price rise has hit hard flower vendors and garland makers also in various parts of the Cauvery delta region of the district.

Vendors have increased the price of knitted flowers and garlands by more than cent per cent in the last six months, mainly due to the spurt in the price of flowers, including jasmine, roses and other country flowers like sampangi and mullai. Added to this is the cent per cent increase in the wages for workers.

Ramakrishnan, a garland maker in Mayiladuturai, who has a good demand for his rose garlands for marriage and other occasions, said that the price of a rose garland with ornamental work for wedding occasions, had now touched Rs.500 against the maximum price of Rs.250 to 300 quoted a few months ago. Similarly, rose and jasmine flower garlands for adorning deities in temples have also gone up to Rs.200 against Rs.100 last year.

Bhuvaneswari, a vendor of knitted flowers of jasmine, mullai and kanakambaram, said that the demand for jasmine was always good and the price of a ‘muzham’ (about 10 inches) knitted jasmine flower had touched Rs.5 against Rs.2 earlier during ordinary days and the price would soar by cent per cent during festival and ‘muhurtham’ (wedding days) days.

The cost of all essential commodities and also the huge transport cost had forced us to sell the flowers at a higher price, remarked Kothandapani, a flower garland maker of Sirkazhi. “We are not getting enough profit by selling the flowers or garlands and the money that we are earning is still not adequate to lead a comfortable life.”

Ramalingam, a wholesale flower vendor of Nagapattinam, has his own grouse. “I use to sell flowers for about Rs.3,000 to Rs.4,000 on ordinary days and Rs.5,000 on festival occasions. Today, the sale has come down, as the retail vendors have cut short their daily purchase by 50 per cent as a many regular customers and shopkeepers who used to buy kitted flowers like jasmine, mullai and kathambam (all varieties flowers knitted together) had stopped purchasing and buy only on Fridays and important religious functions and festival days.

“I was getting a regular income of more than Rs.10,000 every month last year, but it has now come down to Rs.6,000 to Rs.7,000. Hence, I have curtailed my family expenditure by 40 per cent and maintaining my five-member family including two kids with this money. This amount is too little even to meet the regular expenses of my family.”

“I pay a rent of R.1,500 per month and spend Rs.2,500 for provisions including rice, Rs.500 to 600 for medical expenses, Rs.700 for children’s education and Rs.1,000 for unexpected expenses. With the spiralling prices of essential and other commodities, the coming days will be difficult even to run my family,” feels Ramalingam.

Sarasu, a street flower vendor in Kilvelur, said that she was supplementing her husband’s income by earning an average Rs.50 to 60 per day. “I am also a member of a women’s self-help group and get an income of about Rs.1, 000 per month to look after my aged parents and four children,” she added.

Someswaran, one of the leading flower garland merchants in Vedaranyam and a wholesale dealer of ‘mullai’ flower who sends it to several parts of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts, says that with the high cost of flowers and flower garlands, middle-class people had cut the purchase of flowers for marriage and other functions.

He said the prices of cheap flowers like ‘common arali’, ‘thanga arali’ and ‘scent leaves’ that were used to be sprinkled on the route of the funeral processions had also gone up to Rs.50 per kg against Rs.10 sold last year. As a result, people find it very difficult to afford purchasing huge quantity of these flowers even for performing one’s last rites.

Amsavalli, a roadside flower vendor in Kuttalam, says that the devotees and pilgrims visiting various shrines who used to purchase huge quantity of knitted flowers of all kinds and also rose and jasmine flower garlands, have restricted buying of flowers to suit their purses.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu