Valentine’s Day: Over 80 lakh roses sold from Feb 1 to 12

BENGALURU: Tomorrow is February 14, Valentine’s Day, a day for lovers. And with it comes a surge in demand for roses, the symbol of love. The price of roses has shot up, with red roses, in particular, being in high demand.

Every year, February brings a spike in demand for roses, and this year is no exception. At the Bengaluru International Flower Auction Centre, around 80 lakh roses have been sold between February 1 and and 12, with expectations of selling up to 88 lakh roses by February 14.

The price of roses has increased significantly, with one red Taj Mahal rose selling for up to Rs 19, breaking previous records. The centre exports roses to countries like Malaysia, America, and Europe, among others. This year, 21 varieties of roses, including Taj Mahal, Avalanche, Hotshot and Rival, are in high demand at the auction centre.

“Like we expected, we are getting more volumes this year too. On an average, we received 7-8 lakh roses daily and almost everything is being sold. Each rose is selling for as high as Rs 19 and we have already sold over 80 lakh roses till Thursday and hope to sell another 15 lakh roses by February 14”, said Veena, assistant general manager of International Flower Auction, Bangalore (IFAB).

“In the Valentine Week this year, we are getting 8-10 lakh roses every day against a normal of 6-7 lakh roses. The Taj Mahal variety has broken records with a single stem selling for Rs 54. We procure roses from Kolar, Doddaballapur, Chikkaballapur, Kolar and other major flower-growing areas, stored in cold storage and auctioned off the next day”, said Tanusha, quality control officer at IFAB.