Flowers, mostly marigold, are expected to be dearer this Tihar following the damage inflicted on the floriculture business by incessant rainfall and subsequent floods and landslides last month.

The wholesale price of a garland could reach around Rs 85, compared to Rs 70 last year, Dilip Bade, Chairman of Nepal Floriculture Association, told RSS, the state-owned news agency.

The floriculture business incurred a loss worth Rs 150 million due to rain-induced disasters, according to the association. The destruction has led to a shortage of around 1.5 million marigold garlands for Tihar, which will be fulfilled by importing from India, Bade told RSS. 

The demand this year is expected to be for 4 million garlands, 700,000 more than that a year ago. Around 60 percent of the total demand is from the Kathmandu Valley alone.

The annual growth in demand for flowers is twice the domestic production, according to the association. While the market demand goes up 15 to 20 percent every year, the production increases by 10 percent at most.

With the increase in the demand, more districts across the country have begun growing flowers for commercial purpose in recent years. 

RSS