As Valentine's Day draws near and the wedding season picks up, flower prices in Shimla markets are skyrocketing, with particularly high demand for red roses which are selling at Rs 100 a piece.
During the off-season, prices of red roses usually vary between Rs 20 to Rs 50 for a single piece.
"At present, red roses are being sold for Rs 100 per stick. Yet, there is no end to the craze for red roses, whether loose, in a bunch, or in elaborate bouquets," Amit Sood, owner of Universal Traders, a Shimla-based floriculturists, told PTI on Thursday.
Sood expressed hope that the prices could go up further amid high demand for Valentine's Day.
Business is booming; not only in anticipation of occasions of love but also in view of the festive season -- with Shivratri and Holi around the corner.
A single piece of rose is selling for Rs 80 to Rs 120, carnations start at Rs 50 a piece, sunflowers at Rs 250 per stem, while lilies and tulips are fetching upto Rs 4,000 per bundle, Harsh said.
The flower industry is a Rs 100-crore economy in Himachal Pradesh, with many locally-grown flowers exported to other parts of India and worldwide.
However, roses are grown in limited quantity and amid the escalating demand for this quintessential flower of love, red roses are being imported from other places across the country.
"A bundle of carnation with 20 pieces is fetching Rs 400 to Rs 500 for growers selling their produce in Delhi," said Rama Thakur, a grower.
Carnation, chrysanthemum, gladiolus, lilium, and alstroemeria are extensively grown in Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla, Mandi, Chamba and Kangra districts during winters.
Horticulture is practised on 234 hectares in Himachal Pradesh out of which 124 hectares are dedicated to productive cultivation in polyhouses (greenhouses) and about 1,271 families are directly associated with flower cultivation, according to Director, Horticulture, Vinay Kumar.
Due to Valentine's Day and the wedding season, growers are fetching good prices for their produce, he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
