Red rose that used to cost Rs 20 per stem under normal circumstances was traded at as high as Rs 75 on the eve of the Valentine´s day Saturday. As if it were not enough, flower vendors said the price could jump to as high as Rs 150 when love birds actually go out to get a fresh piece of expression of love on the Valentine´s Day Sunday. [break]
Those wishing to gift a whole bouquet instead of a single piece should be ready to spend in the range of Rs 250 to Rs 5,000 depending on the number of flowers they wish to mark the day of love.
"The huge demand of red roses for the day is the major reason behind the surge in their prices," said Padam Khadka of Design´s Fresh Flower Shoppe in Kamaladi. Despite the rise in prices, he is confident of making a good business on the day. “There can be thousands of ways for celebrating love, but the value of a rose -- particularly the red one -- is more than anything else,” Khadka stated.
Giving red rose for Valentine´s Day has been a time honored tradition for lovers. Even before the historic date when St. Valentine is said to have sacrificed his life for love, roses have played a significant part for lovers. The trend of gifting natural roses on Valentine´s Day has affected the contemporary Nepali culture to a greater extent. And this trend has only deepened with the passing of time.
Till four or five years ago, youngsters that made the largest chunk of group celebrating Valentine´s day used to gift items such as soft toys and cards, said gift shop owners. Presently, the age group celebrating the day has only widened and rose have become the major purchase of the Valentine´s Day.
And the demand is so high, flower vendors like Khadka said more than 200,000 pieces of rose are sold on the single day on Valentine´s Day. To meet this demand, vendors have brought in more than 150,000 stems of roses from India. "Rest will be fulfilled through domestic supplies," stated Khadka.
The price for rose is also determined by its size. The price is higher for larger stem, whereas smaller ones costs relatively less, said Khadka.
For instance, Design´s Fresh Flower Shoppe in Kamaladi on Saturday sold 70 cm long red rose at Rs 75 a piece, while a 40 cm long rose stem was priced Rs 60 to Rs 75 and 30 cm long stem was valued in the range of Rs 35 to Rs 50.
The price also varies with the color. Valentine´s classic red roses are expensive, whereas yellow, orange, purple, white or pink roses cost relatively cheaper. “Roses apart from the red ones will be priced between Rs 25 to Rs 35 on the Valentine´s Day,” stated Khadka.
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