The price of local marigold is expected to increase this festive season as most marigolds have already blossomed in the fields, days ahead of the festival. This will consequently affect the supply  in the market, say florists. The rise in prices can also be attributed to the festival taking place a little late this year, as the festival got pushed back because of the occurrence of an intercalary month in the lunar calendar.

During the festival, doors and windows are decorated with long strings of flowers sewn together, particularly marigolds. The festival of flowers and lights begins from November 6.

The wholesale price of a metre of marigold garland is expected to cost Rs60 to Rs100, depending on the quality, according to florists. The wholesale rate was Rs55 to Rs100 last Tihar. Traditionally, 40 flowers are sewn together in a garland.

Kumar Kasaju Shrestha, president of Floriculture Association Nepal (FAN), said that the price has increased due to rise in production and transportation costs. The flower garland business was worth Rs75 million last Tihar, and FAN expects business to hover at Rs110 million this Tihar.

According to Shrestha, there is a demand of 2.2 million flowers across the country for Tihar. In that, the demand for 1.9 million flowers are fulfilled through domestic production, while the remaining is met by import from India.

FAN said that the wholesale price of Makhmali garland will cost Rs40 to Rs50 per garland this year. There is no such huge fluctuation in Makhmali flower price due to sufficient domestic production, he said. “We are self-reliant in Makhmali flower production.”

Speaking at a press conference organised by FAN on Monday, Shrestha said that the overall flower business is growing by 10 to 15 percent annually.

FAN is scheduled to organise the 12th Competitive Exhibition of Marigold from November 1 at Jawalakhel football ground. The four-day exhibition is being carried out with an objective to commercially develop, expand and promote marigold and to encourage flower entrepreneurs to step into commercial production. There will be 48 stalls with 44 commercial stalls at the expo.

In the country, the marigold flower is being produced in districts like Chitwan, Dhading, Parsa, Jhapa and Sunsari.

The country exported 150,000 marigold garlands in countries like Canada, Australia, and Japan last Tihar where Nepalis are residing.

The country will be exporting 200,000 marigold garlands this Tihar, the association said.

Flower cultivation covers around 155 hectares and 43,500 people are directly and indirectly engage in the business, the association said. The annual business of flowers is more than Rs1.83 billion in the country. Similarly, the country imported flower worth Rs110 million and exported of Rs23.7 million in the last fiscal year.