Karnataka roses bloom bright as Valentine's Day demand soars

Often referred to as the Bayalu Seeme (open fields) belt, the regions of Chikkaballapur, Doddaballapur, Kolar, and Ramanagara in south-eastern Karnataka generally witness robust earnings from rose cultivation, with strong demand emerging from both domestic and international markets.

Around Valentine’s Day (February 14), the appetite for these blooms has only intensified.

The 'Taj Mahal' variety of red roses, a favourite among young couples, is seeing unprecedented demand and is fetching premium prices at the International Flower Auction Centre (IFAC) in Bengaluru. The wide range of roses available here rarely fails to captivate buyers.

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The auction centre in the city’s Hebbal area receives around five lakh flowers for auction every day. However, with Valentine’s Day around the corner, the volume is expected to rise to eight to 10 lakh blooms daily. Prices have also firmed up, offering better returns to farmers as well as local and international exporters.

Export spike season

M Vishwanath, managing director of the IFAC, said that under the Dutch reverse clock system, perishable products such as flowers are auctioned a day after being received from farmers. The centre collects a commission of 1.5 per cent from buyers and 3.5 per cent from farmers.

“Valentine’s Day is a crucial occasion for us. There is also significant demand during Christmas and the New Year. During these celebrations, European countries face unfavourable climatic conditions for growing roses, leading to higher exports from the Bengaluru auction centre,” he told The Federal.

Vishwanath added that the farmers benefit from better prices during this period, and with rose cultivation increasingly taking place in polyhouses, the centre has been receiving superior quality blooms over the past five years.

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“Production has been growing by around 15 per cent annually, and export volumes this year have remained strong, similar to last year,” the top IFAC official added.

Fully digital auction

The auction process at the Hebbal centre is entirely digital, eliminating manual intervention. Participants can also join online. Buyers make daily payments for their purchases, while farmers are paid on a weekly basis. The five per cent commission collected is used for the centre’s daily operations and staff salaries. Officials emphasise that the auction process is conducted with complete transparency.

Domestically, flowers are supplied to places such as Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Chandigarh. Exports are routed to destinations including Dubai, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, besides several European countries, and even Pakistan where they are sent via Chandigarh. For Nepal, the flower consignments pass through Kolkata.

During the Valentine’s season last year, flowers worth Rs 4.4 crore, weighing around 1.649 metric tonnes, were exported through Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.

Beyond Valentine’s Day, flowers are widely used for weddings and other auspicious functions. The auction centre also offers free training to farmers on flower cultivation, covering aspects such as timing, crop care and packaging. Interested farmers can enrol in these sessions.

Storage for 10L flowers

Gagith BL, supervisor at the IFAC, said that high-quality roses grown in and around Bengaluru enjoy strong market demand. The centre has cold storage facilities capable of holding up to 10 lakh flowers at a time.

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The 'Taj Mahal' variety in 16-inch, 14-inch and 12-inch sizes is particularly sought after, with a single bloom selling for over Rs 54. The centre has also adopted dry flower technology and plans to produce value-added products, including incense sticks, in the near future.

Quality officer Tanusha said that all flowers received from farmers undergo inspection. “We check for fungal infections before shifting them to cold storage, as contamination can spread to other flowers. We also ensure there is no damage during transport or packaging. If any damage is detected, the flowers are rejected at the initial stage,” she said.

Buyers upbeat

Rashmi, buyer and founder of Shivani Florist, said roses witness peak demand during Valentine’s Day and that business has been brisk even ahead of the season.

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“Premium roses have fetched good prices. Bengaluru roses enjoy strong demand across the country, benefiting farmers as well. The International Flower Auction Centre provides efficient services with seamless connectivity between the centre and the airport. Despite market fluctuations, we must adapt and move forward. I left my job as a lecturer at a private nursing college to pursue this business,” she told The Federal Karnataka.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka.)