Pune flower prices have fallen sharply ahead of Dussehra as increased supplies reach the Market Yard, leaving farmers and traders struggling to recover production and transport costs despite the festival normally bringing stronger demand.
The decline has been linked by growers and traders to lower rainfall, which caused less crop damage and allowed more flowers to reach the market. The resulting surplus has pushed prices down by about half in several cases compared with last year.
Pravin Mane, who brings flowers from Saswad to Pune Market Yard, said a kilogram of aster that sold for Rs 300 last year is now priced at Rs 200. Shevanti has fallen from Rs 200 to Rs 100 per kg, while kabutar flowers have declined from Rs 300 to Rs 150 per kg.
Marigold, widely used for Dussehra decorations and religious offerings, has also become cheaper. Balasaheb Rawade said yellow marigold, or zhendu, which sold for Rs 100 per kg last year at his shop, is now selling for around Rs 70. Orange marigold prices have dropped from Rs 100 to Rs 50 per kg, while shevanti has fallen from Rs 150 to Rs 80 per kg.
“Low rains meant that a lot of stock did not get damaged as they usually do. This meant a big influx into the market, dropping the prices,” Rawade said.
Another trader, Karthik Kunjir, attributed the fall to the large volume of flowers arriving at the market. At his shop, yellow and orange marigolds are selling for Rs 20 to Rs 40 per kg, compared with more than Rs 50 per kg last year.
The lower prices may benefit households and institutions buying flowers for Dussehra, but the increased supply has not translated into higher earnings for growers. Farmers bringing produce from outside Pune face an additional burden because transport expenses must be paid before the flowers are sold.
Paban Chaudhary and farmer Tanaji Pawar travelled from Marathwada with 480 crates of flowers. They said prices in Pune had fallen to Rs 30-Rs 40 per kg, compared with Rs 80-Rs 120 per kg last year. “We could not even cover the transportation charges from there to here. It is a big loss for us,” they said.
Santosh Nanavare, who brings flowers from Karmala taluka, said hiring a truck costs Rs 9,000. “With such low prices, we cannot even cover that cost,” he said.
The situation highlights the exposure of flower growers to sudden price changes when large volumes converge on a city market during a festival period. For farmers and traders arriving from Saswad, Karmala and Marathwada, the fall in prices has turned what is usually a crucial sales period into a period of losses. With Dussehra approaching, supplies continue to reach Pune Market Yard while growers and traders assess whether sales will cover their costs.
