Florists of the country are spending busy time ahead of Pahela Falgun or Spring Festival, Valentine’s Day and International Mother Language Day.
Florists have had to count the losses for the last two years due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Moreover, cyclone Jawad and Amphan also caused extensive damage to flowers. Even then they have cultivated new flowers in the hope of profit.
Farmers said that if there are no restrictions this time, they will get a good price for flowers, they will be able to make a profit by overcoming the loss of the coronavirus and they will be able to turn around.
The nearby district Narayanganj is now also witnessing flower cultivation. Flower growers in the villages of Kalagachhia Union of Bandar Upazila of Narayanganj said people of ten villages of this upazila are involved in floriculture. At least 10,000 people have become self-sufficient as a result of direct and indirect flower cultivation.
Bandar Thana Multipurpose Flower Traders Cooperative Society General Secretary Tawlad Hossain said that although the flower business is throughout the year, sales and profits are higher around special days.
Dhaka Flower Traders Welfare Multipurpose Cooperative Society President Shree Babul Prasad said that before the pandemic outbreak they used to have worth Tk 35 crore to Tk 40 crore flower businesses around the special days. But now situation has changed, they are looking forward to have business around Tk 20 crore this time.”
“As three special days are ahead of us we are taking last minute preparation. We hope to turn around this time,” he added.
However, a different situation witnessed at Shahbagh Flower Market while visiting on Saturday. Most of the flower shops at that area do not wear any festive look ahead of three special days. According to traders they fear of loss again like last two consecutive years.
A flower trader while talking to journalist said that last year following covid-19 relaxation he invest good amount in flower but he was wrong and almost all his money went into vain.
Shahbagh Battala Small Flower Traders Cooperative Society president Abul Kalam Azad told Bangladesh Post, “In recent rose are affected with virus that’s why its price went up at the retail level. On the other hand, as school-college-universities are shut down, we don’t want to take risk this year. Until now we don’t have any order for flower ahead of three special days.”