BANGKOK, 13 February 2014 Prices of roses and lotus flowers have gone up severalfold this week, as available supply is lower than normal and with the Valentines’ and Makha Bucha days approaching.
Prices of roses and lotus flowers are expected to keep rising until Valentines and Makha Bucha, which happen to fall on the same day this year. Flower shops at Pak Khlong Talat Market in Bangkok said the lower-than-normal supply was due to the intense cold period at the end of 2013 having stemmed the growth of the roses and flowers. A large portion of lotus plants also died off as a result of the cold weather.
Lotus flowers at the wholesale market were reportedly selling at 100-150 baht per bundle on Wednesday, compared to the normal price of between 50-60 baht. As roses were also affected by the intense cold, the sellers had to import them to make up for the supply shortage; consequently, rose prices have risen to between 600-800 baht per bundle.
