Pahela Falgun, Valentine's Day: Godkhali market sells over Tk 30cr flowers
Staff Reporter :
The wholesale flower market in Godkhali of Jashore’s Jhikorgacha, the largest flower market in the country, has already sold off over Tk 30 crore flowers ahead of Pahela Falgun and Valentine’s Day.
On Monday, at least three crore roses were sold in Godkhali flower market. Roses were sold at a record price on this day due to increasing demand, traders said.
Each rose was sold at Tk 15-Tk 25. At the same time, the prices of gladiolus, gerbera and rosary flowers were also high. This time, the farmers are being able to sell flowers at a high price and they are hoping to overcome the losses caused by two years of Covid-19 pandemic and natural disasters.
Traders and farmers in Godkhali said production and demand of flowers increased and prices of flowers were also higher this season than the previous year.
According to the Godkhali Flower Growers and Flower Traders Welfare Association, at least one 10 lakh roses were sent across the country from Godkhali and 500 florists came to the wholesale flower market with rose flowers yesterday.
Abdur Quader, a flower farmer, said, “I have been cultivating different varieties of flowers for the last 30 years. I have cultivated roses the most as the price of roses usually goes up significantly ahead of Pahela Falgun and Valentine’s Day. However, I never received a wholesale price of more than Tk 15 for per piece of rose. But this time, I sold rose at Tk 25 and China rose at Tk 40. All farmers will be benefited from the high prices of rose.
Al Amin, a local florist, said he was selling each rose (without cap) at Tk 25. Apart from this, they are selling roses with caps at the rate of Tk 15. Five days ago the wholesale price of roses was almost half. Besides, gerbera was sold at Tk 10 to Tk 15, tuberose at Tk 12, gladiolus Tk 14 to Tk 18 and marigolds were sold at Tk 200 to Tk 300 per thousand.
The wholesale flower market in Godkhali, known as the “flower capital” of the country, accounts for nearly 70 percent of the entire flower supply. Farmers say they have good yield and profit this year.
Flowers of different varieties including rose, gerbera, gladiolus, tuberose and marigold were cultivated on 1,700 hectares of land this year, our Benapole correspondent reports quoting Abdur Rahim, president of Godkhali Flower Traders’ Association.
“Farmers of this region have sold over Tk 30 crore of flowers during the last seven days,” said Abdur Rahim, adding, “Sales have surged mainly because of Pahela Falgun and Valentine’s Day celebration on February 14.”
He also said that high flower prices might help the farmers to cover losses that they incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Farmers are most likely to yield hefty profits this year,” he added.
Flower farmers of Godkhali union under Jhikargacha upazila of Jashore district, are hoping to sell flowers worth around Tk500 crore this year.
