Rose sale soars ahead of Valentine’s Day

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Kathmandu, Feb. 9: Sales of rose has soared at several flower shops of the Kathmandu Valley and other districts of the nation as the Valentine’s Week got underway from Tuesday with the Rose Day. Roses are one of the best-selling flowers in the week leading to the Valentine’s Day on February 14.   

Flower traders of the country have said they are importing rose stems worth Rs. 160 million for the Valentine’s Day this year. The country will buy 260,000 stems of roses for the occasion.

Before the Valentine’s Day, there is a practice of marking the seven days of the whole week with different names - Rose Day, Propose Day, Chocolate Day, Teddy Day, Promise Day, Hug Day and Kiss Day. 

The demand for and import of rose is higher ahead of Valentine’s Day than at other times. The demand for rose is likely to increase this year compared to previous year. With the increasing demand of roses, the Floriculture Association Nepal (FAN) is importing 260,000 stems for this year’s Valentine’s Day, said Min Bahadur Tamang, president of FAN. 

Flower traders assumed that there would be a demand of around 280,000 stems of roses during the Valentine’s week. Of them, 260,000 stems of roses will be imported from India and other 20,000 stems of roses will be managed from domestic production, he said.  

“Of the total demand of rose, 93 per cent roses will be imported from Delhi of India; the domestic produce meets 7 per cent of the demand,” he added.

 “Domestic production of rose has decreased due to the impact of lockdown. From the last few years, flower traders have not invested any money in floriculture due to the uncertainty of market,” he said.  

Government has not put floriculture business under essential business so plants of rose were damaged in lack of proper care. As a result, there was decline in domestic production, he added. 

He further said, “Domestic production will meet only 7 per cent of the demand during this year’s Valentine’s Week and remaining 93 per cent is imported from India.” 

The demand for roses is high especially in the Kathmandu Valley. It will consume 168,000 stems of the rose in Kathmandu Valley during the week. Remaining 112,000 stems of rose 40 per cent will be absorbed by Pokhara, Chitwan, Hetauda, Sunsari, Morang and other cities, he said. 

According to FAN, it will import more roses for this year than last year due to higher demand. “Last year 207,000 stems of roses were sold,” said Tamang.    The per stick price of rose in the market ranges between Rs. 80 to Rs. 120 this year. However, it was sold at Rs. 80 to Rs. 100 last year. 

On normal days, each day there is a demand of  around  10,000 stems of roses. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, among the total demand of roses, 80 per cent was fulfilled from domestic production and  only 20 per cent imported from other nations, according to the FAN.

The commercial farming of rose is being done in three districts of Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan and Kavrepalanchowk. It is assumed that commercial transaction of roses will amount to Rs. 280 million during the Valentine’s week, FAN said.