Pune’s flower market recorded turnover of about ₹3.68 crore during the first five days of Ganeshotsav, with 2.60 lakh kilograms of marigold arriving at the Market Yard between 14 and 18 September, according to the Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee.
The seasonal surge was driven by demand for flowers from the installation of Ganesh idols through the arrival of Gauri. Flower consignments reached the wholesale market from Solapur, Satara and Sangli districts, as well as Soratwadi, Yavat, Loni Kalbhor and Maval taluka in Pune district.
Santosh Kumbharkar, head of the flower market division of the Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee, said the first five days of the festival generally bring the highest demand for flowers. He said the market received 2.60 lakh kilograms of marigold during the period and that arrivals were particularly high between 14 and 18 September.
The supply was also influenced by a break in the rain during the festival. According to Kumbharkar, farmers sent larger quantities of flowers to the market because the dry weather enabled them to harvest and transport more produce. Arrivals were higher than demand, which meant that marigold prices were lower than they had been during the same period last year.
Last year, continued rain had affected flower cultivation and reduced the arrival of good-quality flowers compared with demand. The limited supply of dry, good-quality flowers had consequently supported prices, Kumbharkar said. This year’s market showed the opposite pattern: stronger arrivals moderated prices even as festival demand remained high.
Sagar Bhosle, coordinator of the Akhil Flower Market Commission Agents’ Association and a flower trader, said festival demand had led farmers to hold back flowers for the period. He said flower prices were about 30 per cent higher than usual during the festival season.
Among individual varieties, gulchhadi recorded the highest price during the period. It received an average wholesale price of ₹600 per kilogram. Marigold, despite accounting for the largest volume of arrivals, averaged ₹20 per kilogram in the wholesale market. White chrysanthemum averaged ₹60 per kilogram, while yellow chrysanthemum averaged ₹100 per kilogram.
Dutch roses were sold at an average of ₹100 per bundle. The variation in prices across flowers reflected the difference between festival demand, available supply and the quality of each variety entering the wholesale market.
The figures underline the role of Pune’s Market Yard as a meeting point for seasonal agricultural supply from several districts and local production areas. The Ganeshotsav trade also shows how weather conditions can quickly alter the balance between farm arrivals and urban demand. After the immersion of Gauri, flower demand is expected to decline, according to the market officials quoted in the report.
