Flowers and fruits get expensive ahead of Ugadi

Bengaluru sees rise in fruit, flower prices ahead of Ugadi due to reduced supply and increased demand.

As Bengaluru gears up for Ugadi, the prices of fruits and flowers have shot up. A kilogram of sevanthige (chrysanthemum) was selling for around ₹200 on Friday while button roses were selling at ₹250 - ₹300 a kg. Jasmine and kanakambara (crossandra) were selling at ₹300 - 400 a kg. The prices of all these flowers have gone up by ₹100 a kg on an average for the festival.

Vendors attribute the spike to a combination of reduced supply and heightened demand across Karnataka. Manjula, a flower vendor at K.R. Market, said, “Intense heat and harsh summer conditions have compromised flower quality. Prices have risen with the festival, yet we are still waiting for the usual rush of customers.”

The fruit markets have seen a steady flow of produce but with overlapping of Ugadi with Eid has resulted in prices of some fruits being hiked. The costliest of them all is pomegranate, which was selling at ₹400 a kg on Friday in many markets. Mangoes, which are yet to arrive in the market in their best quality, are currently selling for around ₹60 - ₹120 a kg. Yelakki bananas and apples were selling at ₹80 a kg and ₹300 - 350 a kg respectively.

In sharp contrast to the rising costs of flowers and fruits, vegetable prices have declined as the supply to the market has exceeded the demand.

Except for beans whose price has gone up by around ₹10 - ₹15 a kg, there has been no significant change in the prices of other vegetables. When compared to the previous year’s prices, most of them have seen a decline of at least ₹15 a kg.

Murugan, a resident of Vasanth Nagar, shopping at K.R. Market, praised the market’s offerings, “Prices are low, and the quality is better than last year. But the price of coconut has increased,” he said.

Munawar, a vegetable seller at K.R. Market, remarked, “Ugadi typically draws huge numbers, but this year, the response has been surprisingly low.”