Rose price in domestic market in Hosur surpasses export market this Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, Hosur's domestic rose prices surpass exports, driven by production drops and rising local demand.

Hosur farmers have ditched exports for the domestic market this Valentine’s Day, as the domestic price per stem of red roses surpassed export prices for the first time. While the global flower demand has remained the same, the production fall has pushed up the domestic prices.

While this is the second year where the export of roses from Hosur slipped in favour of the domestic market, this is the first time a stem of roses is selling at a price difference of ₹10, with domestic prices way up than the export price per stem. The average export price of red rose is ₹22 to ₹24 per stem, but the domestic average as ₹30 to ₹35 per stem.

Production fall

Though globally, the flower demand has remained same, the production was impacted by bad climate, said farmers. “In Hosur region, production dropped by 45% due to extreme cold. There was an increase in blind shoots or water shoots, where buds fail to emerge,” says Bala Siva Prasad, president of Hosur Small Farmers Association, and also former Director, National Horticulture Board.

At the International Flower Auction Center, Bengaluru (IFAB), that receives 6 lakh to 7 lakh stems from Hosur for auctioning, the going prices of red roses were ₹600 per bunch (20 stems) and the premium roses at ₹1,100 per bunch, said Mr. Prasad adding that the highest price of red rose per stem was ₹52.

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