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In Thovala, they say it with flowers for a price

Vinson Kurian

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Nov. 18

THE buzzz... from the throng of eager-beavers may not be clearly audible, but is demonstrably palpable from the small distance that separates the famed Thovala flower market from the narrow main road populated on either side by a row of non-descript shop s that passes for downtown Thovala, near Nagercoil, on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

But this small distance proves `some' distance as one is made to negotiate a culvert overlooking a foul-smelling drain infested by frolicking piglets, before being ushered into the spectacular riot of colours and the waft of fragrance provided by mounds of flowers rising over freshly made-up soil at the Thovala marketplace. A heady mix which sure tests the delicate olfactory nerves no end!

It's peak hours, one is told as one steps in to the sun-lit bazaar at 8:30 am to the hustle and bustle from a swarm of rural market-makers, some toting even cell-phones, making gestures and yelling out numbers, reminding one of a scene straight out of th e stock exchange floor.

In fact, the market opens as early as six in the morning with the arrival of the first few loads of freshly picked flowers. The business closes at 11 am, well in time to beat an advancing sun which, at its noon-time high, can be so merciless as to drain the stuffing out of the highly perishable commodity. In the space of five hours, though, it is likely that deals worth lakhs would have been sealed, depending on the season.

The flowers are sourced from small garden-farms located in adjoining villages within a 25-km radius. In the peak of the season, which alternates every six months, business averages Rs 3 lakh on a daily basis. Off-season, as it is now, it can settle withi n the Rs 1.50-lakh to Rs 2-lakh range.

The prices are so predictably unpredictable that even an unseasonal overnight shower or a prolonged battering from the sun can make or break the market early next morning. Overnight rallies involving hundreds of rupees in respect of a single variety are not uncommon, given the fickle weather in these parts.

Chrysanthemums, `malligai', `arali' and `pichi' are the main varieties in demand. There is no established price-finding mechanism worth writing home about, other than the `domino effect' of peer pressure generated by festival/ marriage season demand from places as far away as in Thiruvananthapuram and up-country Kollam in neighbouring Kerala.

The rustic but business-savvy market-makers serve up wholesalers who, apart from rushing truckloads onward to the Kerala capital, runs retail outlets in Thovala town to meet local demand.

N. Thalavai, who operates from Malligai Malaragam, an aptly named retail outlet on Main Road, Thovalai, is one of the suppliers to the Thiruvananthapuram market. He says some of his consignments find place in cargoes bound for even overseas destinations, notably the Gulf countries, thanks to well-entrenched agent/ dealers based in the Chalai market of Thiruvananthapuram. He says he makes a decent living out of the trade but politely refuses to reveal the vital numbers.

Panagudi and adjoining Rosemiyapuram, two small hamlets off the Nagercoil-Tirunelveli highway, are the principal suppliers to the Thovala market. Flower farms are grown both as principal crops and inter-crops on remarkably fertile-looking plots in these areas.

Picture by K.K. Mustafah