Erratic rainfall has sprung a thorny problem for rose growers across India. While the rose gardens of outer Bengaluru have begun to wilt due to dry climes, the flower farms on the Deccan plateau are battling out excessive rains and low sunlight. The production of roses has slid by at least 60 per cent, squarely impacting the schedules of major flower exporters.
“We’re not able to fulfill export orders due to low production,” says Narendra Patil, vice-president of Soex Flora. “The Maval region near Pune is a prominent rose-growing belt in India. Excessive rains have hampered production. Stem growth has become weak and bud quality is also down,” he says.
“Flower imports to the UK from India have declined by a good measure since August,” says Hariharan Subramanian, founder of UK-based Indifresh, a floriculture product importing company.