It is a rosy season for farmers in Bengaluru 

t truly is a rosy season for farmers this year as the combination of weddings and Valentine’s Day has driven up the price of red roses to around ₹20 per stem at the International Flower Auction Bangalore (IFAB).  

 It truly is a rosy season for farmers this year as the combination of weddings and Valentine’s Day has driven up the price of red roses to around ₹20 per stem at the International Flower Auction Bangalore (IFAB).  

In the last few years, the price of red roses which was around ₹14 to ₹15 per stem has touched ₹20 owing to an increased demand. “Depending on the stem size, the roses are selling between ₹10 and ₹20 per stem. Red roses continue to be the favourite this month. Although owing to the cold weather the supply was affected during the start of the season, it has improved since last week. We expect the price to go beyond ₹20 per stem in the days just before Valentine’s Day,” said M. Vishwanath, managing director, IFAB. 

Bengaluru, which is known as the floral hub of India, sends roses to other cities across the country, like Mumbai, Chennai, Nagpur, and Jaipur, and also exports them to countries like New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, and Japan during the Valentine’s Day season. 

However, exports do not seem to be doing so well in the last few years owing to the GST imposed on freight charges. In 2024, according to the numbers provided by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), around 90 lakh rose stems were exported marking a 14% increase compared to the previous year. But farmers say that it has been reduced by almost 80% this year.  

“Exports are getting lesser and lesser owing to the high freight charges upon which GST is also imposed. But we are doing well in the domestic market as there are numerous weddings taking place along with Valentine’s Day,” said Srikanth Bollapally, director, South India Floriculture Association. 

While cut flowers are grown on an area of around 15,000 hectares in the State, Mr. Bollapally said that rose production in concentrated in a 70 to 80 kilometre radius of Bengaluru. “Usually, in a good season, around 1.5 million rose stems are produced every day, while in the peak season like this, up to 2 million roses are produced in a day to cater to demand,” he said. 

While the red rose, especially varieties like Taj Mahal, continues to be a favourite among people, pastel colours like peach, pink, and white are preferred for weddings.