Anisul Islam Noor :
Flower growers and traders earn a big profit every year in the month of February, as flower’s use increase manifold traditionally.
Rose, gerbera, gladiolus and tuber rose as well as their bouquets were in high demand on Pahela Falgun and Valentine’s Day on February 13 and 14 respectively. Now the traders are preparing for February 21, said Alamgir Khan, a flower trader of Shahbag in the city.
The sector insiders said that this year traders may recoup their losses they incurred last year due to a political turmoil.
Such occasions push up the demand three to four times, according to the Bangladesh Flower Society, an organisation of flower traders across the country.
Visiting the city’s flower wholesale shops at Farm Gate, Shahbagh, Agargaon and Uttara; retail shops at Dhanmondi, Santi Nagar, Mohakhali and Mirpur areas, the reporter found that the markets were already awash with colourful local and foreign varieties of flowers, their bouquets and foliages.
Most of the political parties, social organisations, public and private offices and foreign embassies buy flower rings and bouquets on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day, said, Araad Hossain, flower trader of Shahbag.
Various kinds of rings are sold at Shahbagh on orders of the clients.
“We have flower rings with prices ranging from Tk 350 to Tk 1500 each,” he said.
Prices of flowers have increased slightly at his outlet this year compared with those of last year. “We are bringing more flowers this time amid a stable
political situation,” he said. However, flower buyers claimed that prices already increased by 100-300 per cent.
Students of universities, colleges and schools will also buy flowers on the occasion of Language Day.
Ashikur Rahman, owner of Madhumoti Flower House at Shahbagh said that the supply of flowers was good this February, but prices increased slightly at the farm level in Jessore, Jhenaidah and Chuadanga.
He said the price of marigold (big size) increased to Tk 1000-1200 per thousand at Godkhali, Jessore. The prices were less than Tk 1000 last year. But he admitted that their profit margin should be much higher as transportation cost is less this year than that of last year.
Md Billal Hossain, owner of Bristy VIP Ful Ghor at Shahbagh, said their daily sales average accounts for Tk 2000 during normal days. But during the peak season, the sales stand at Tk 20,000 to 35,000 per day.
“But due to the non-stop blockade and hartal enforced by the BNP-led alliance last year, our business was totally dull,” he said.
“Transportation cost increased to Tk 18,000-20,000 per pickup van last February while most of us incurred losses due to supply disruption,” he said. He said flower sellers were looking to recoup losses this year.
“Not only the traders, but also the farmers incurred immense losses last year in Jessore, Jhenidah, Chuadanga, Bogra, Rangpur and Chittagong”, Bangladesh Flower Growers and Exporters Association President M Ahsan Ullah said.
He said half of the flowers produced by Godkhali gardeners, the biggest flower hub in the country, were damaged due to the political turmoil last year.
Md Shaiful Islam, President of National Nursery Society of Bangladesh (NNSB), a platform of the country’s nursery-related associations, said their research shows a person in Dhaka city spends at least Tk 60 annually for buying cut flowers, decorative plants, vegetables or fruit plants.
“Our research shows the turnover of the nurseries and flower traders in Dhaka city is above Tk 182 crore a year, of which February accounts for 50 per cent,” he said.
Flower growers and traders earn a big profit every year in the month of February, as flower’s use increase manifold traditionally.
Rose, gerbera, gladiolus and tuber rose as well as their bouquets were in high demand on Pahela Falgun and Valentine’s Day on February 13 and 14 respectively. Now the traders are preparing for February 21, said Alamgir Khan, a flower trader of Shahbag in the city.
The sector insiders said that this year traders may recoup their losses they incurred last year due to a political turmoil.
Such occasions push up the demand three to four times, according to the Bangladesh Flower Society, an organisation of flower traders across the country.
Visiting the city’s flower wholesale shops at Farm Gate, Shahbagh, Agargaon and Uttara; retail shops at Dhanmondi, Santi Nagar, Mohakhali and Mirpur areas, the reporter found that the markets were already awash with colourful local and foreign varieties of flowers, their bouquets and foliages.
Most of the political parties, social organisations, public and private offices and foreign embassies buy flower rings and bouquets on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day, said, Araad Hossain, flower trader of Shahbag.
Various kinds of rings are sold at Shahbagh on orders of the clients.
“We have flower rings with prices ranging from Tk 350 to Tk 1500 each,” he said.
Prices of flowers have increased slightly at his outlet this year compared with those of last year. “We are bringing more flowers this time amid a stable
political situation,” he said. However, flower buyers claimed that prices already increased by 100-300 per cent.
Students of universities, colleges and schools will also buy flowers on the occasion of Language Day.
Ashikur Rahman, owner of Madhumoti Flower House at Shahbagh said that the supply of flowers was good this February, but prices increased slightly at the farm level in Jessore, Jhenaidah and Chuadanga.
He said the price of marigold (big size) increased to Tk 1000-1200 per thousand at Godkhali, Jessore. The prices were less than Tk 1000 last year. But he admitted that their profit margin should be much higher as transportation cost is less this year than that of last year.
Md Billal Hossain, owner of Bristy VIP Ful Ghor at Shahbagh, said their daily sales average accounts for Tk 2000 during normal days. But during the peak season, the sales stand at Tk 20,000 to 35,000 per day.
“But due to the non-stop blockade and hartal enforced by the BNP-led alliance last year, our business was totally dull,” he said.
“Transportation cost increased to Tk 18,000-20,000 per pickup van last February while most of us incurred losses due to supply disruption,” he said. He said flower sellers were looking to recoup losses this year.
“Not only the traders, but also the farmers incurred immense losses last year in Jessore, Jhenidah, Chuadanga, Bogra, Rangpur and Chittagong”, Bangladesh Flower Growers and Exporters Association President M Ahsan Ullah said.
He said half of the flowers produced by Godkhali gardeners, the biggest flower hub in the country, were damaged due to the political turmoil last year.
Md Shaiful Islam, President of National Nursery Society of Bangladesh (NNSB), a platform of the country’s nursery-related associations, said their research shows a person in Dhaka city spends at least Tk 60 annually for buying cut flowers, decorative plants, vegetables or fruit plants.
“Our research shows the turnover of the nurseries and flower traders in Dhaka city is above Tk 182 crore a year, of which February accounts for 50 per cent,” he said.
