Traders in Bengaluru are witnessing a sharp rise in rose sales ahead of Valentine’s Day, with auction figures already surpassing last year’s numbers.
The International Flower Auction Bangalore (IFAB) expects the total number of rose stems auctioned between February 1 and 14 to cross one crore this season.
Veena AM, Assistant General Manager at IFAB, said that as of February 12, around 88.3 lakh rose stems had already been auctioned — exceeding last year’s total of 88.1 lakh during the same period. An additional 10–13 lakh stems are expected to be traded by the end of Saturday.
Early demand pushes prices up
IFAB Managing Director and Joint Director of Horticulture M Viswanath noted that demand began earlier this year, starting February 1 in the run-up to Rose Day on February 7.
The surge has also led to a price rise of 10–15 per cent. While last year’s average price per stem ranged between ₹14 and ₹16, this year it stands at ₹16–₹18, touching ₹20 in some cases.
Over 70 per cent of roses sold in and from Bengaluru are auctioned through IFAB, while the remainder is directly sourced from growers and sold in markets such as KR Market.
Strong domestic and global demand
Major rose-producing regions include Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Anekal, Hoskote and Hosur in Tamil Nadu. Indian metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam remain key markets. Internationally, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and Dubai are leading destinations.
Officials said over 1,500 hectares around Bengaluru are dedicated to rose cultivation. Mandatory rainwater harvesting for polyhouse subsidies has improved quality, as rainwater enhances nutrient absorption.
With larger buds, stems up to 70 cm long and a shelf life of nearly six days under optimal cold storage, Bengaluru’s Dutch roses continue to remain in high demand.