Hyderabad’s Gudimalkapur Flower Market Faces 50% Supply Drop, Prices Surge Ahead of Festive Season

Flower markets in Hyderabad are bustling this festive season, but a significant supply shortage has led to soaring prices. At Gudimalkapur, the city’s largest wholesale flower market, traders report a nearly 50% drop in flower availability due to heavy rains and reduced shipments from neighboring states. This disruption is creating difficulty for local vendors, who are struggling to meet the heightened demand of festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Dussehra.

Seasoned florist at Gudimalkapur, explained that while demand typically rises steadily as the festivals approach, this year vendors are receiving fewer consignments than last year. Customers, aware of the importance of flowers in rituals, show willingness to pay more, but the limited stock is pushing prices higher. The market sees consistent daily demand as households, temples, and organizations buy flowers in bulk for decorations and ceremonies.

Chrysanthemum (chamanthi), a popular flower during this festive period, exemplifies the supply-demand gap. Normally priced around Rs 100 per kg, its price has surged to Rs 300 this week. The market typically receives about 13,000 kg of chamanthi during festivals, but this year’s lower supply combined with sustained high demand has kept prices elevated.

Srinivas, the Gudimalkapur market secretary, noted rainfall as a primary reason for the shortage and added that flower production in neighboring states has dropped slightly. However, he said the quality of flowers arriving this year is better than before. Vendor Lakshmi, who has over 20 years of experience, added that customers are bargaining more due to high prices but understand these are peak demand times. Despite the supply crunch, festival sales remain steady.