Bengaluru: The sale of rose flowers was hit hard owing to Covid-19 pandemic. Valentine's day witnessed a surge in the sale. Nearly 2,73,000 kg of roses were exported to 41 destinations across the world, according to Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL) authorities. The Kempegowda International Airport is under the auspices of BIAL authorities. 1,70,000 kg was exported to international destinations and 1,03,000 kg was transported to cities within India.
Export destinations included Singapore, London, Dubai, Kuwait, Kuala Lumpur, Auckland, Beirut, Manila. In India, the destinations included Mumbai, Kolkata, Allahabad, Bagdogra, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Chennai and Allahabad.
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In south India, Hosur and Bengaluru are the major hubs of floriculture and Garden City is one of the largest exporters of roses in India. The demand for rose flowers during Valentine's season has witnessed a spike in the domestic market as well.
It was reported earlier that Covid-hit Karnataka's flower exports would take some time to recover, while the domestic market has started limping back to normalcy after the pandemic brought the floriculture sector to a complete halt from April to September.
Polyhouses should have a 24-hour power supply for flowers to grow. The variation of power supply has affected the harvest. In other states, the electricity charge is 1.5 to 2 rupees per unit and free up to 100 units. While, in Karnataka, Rs 4.5 per unit is the charge.
