Page 32 - ITLN March - April 2022 issue

Special Report
Flower Logistics

to find its feet amidst a break in the well. As each country has a different set
global supply chain and rising air of requirements my farm was mainly
freight prices. Flowers make up directed and standardised to supply
Mappillai recalls, "From four 3-4% share of the to Japan and southern hemisphere
shipments of 500 kilos each week, we overall perishables markets including Australia and New
have come down to hardly one shipment Zealand. But now since the last two
a week because of the freight costs that move from years, different colored roses have
post-pandemic. We have been unable Bangalore Airport become a thing for the Indian market,
to send shipments to Japan, which was BIAL spokesperson especially for wedding markets which
one of our main markets and now we now have the trend of having colour
mostly export a limited quantity of roses themes at weddings," he adds, citing
to New Zealand." that local markets also have a supply of
Flower exports are slated to be low this out flowers. I am not a Valentine's Day 50-60% of red roses now.
year, owing to good domestic demand player and do these shipments around Even with his chequered journey as
and high freight rates, weaning even this occasion only to sustain my market an entrepreneur, Mappillai is cautiously
cultivators like Mappillai from exports. in that particular period." optimistic about India's flower exports
Mappillai says, "Before the pandemic, With more commercial cultivators as he declares that what is conducive
we used to pay Rs 180 - 200 and today getting into the fray in India and a to this sector is that 'India has every
we pay Rs 530-585 a kilo. During the maturing of the floriculture trade taking climate that you need'. He believes the
Valentine's Day time period, freight place in India, the domestic market sector which is showing green shoots
rates had gone all the way up to Rs 850. interestingly has seen a sudden demand in Pune, Bengaluru, Ooty, and Nashik
It is getting frightfully expensive and spike thanks to the wedding market- needs to be handheld and nurtured
we are getting priced out of the market where roses are the star attraction. especially in the areas of water supply,
now. Despite freight rates from India "Earlier our main focus was only power supply, and end-to-end cold
being high, we lucked out as several exports but now post the pandemic we chain logistics so that it can grow to its
countries were facing issues in sending are forced to supply to this market as full potential.

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