Flower vendors look to mainland Myanmar for product, raising market prices

By Admin 11 Oct 2023

DMG Newsroom
11 October 2023, Sittwe

Flower vendors are reportedly selling flowers from mainland Myanmar at a higher price due to low yields from the flower farms in Arakan State.

Daw Oo Mya Khin, a resident of Sittwe, said that she only buys low-cost and long-lasting flowers to donate to her local pagoda due to the rising price of flowers.

“I can’t buy chrysanthemums because they are very expensive and not long-lasting. I only buy flowers that are inexpensive and will last a long time,” she added.

Flower vendors said that nine out of 10 types of flowers currently sold in the market are ordered from mainland Myanmar, with a rose costing K500 and a bunch of chrysanthemums selling for K15,000.

“A bunch of Shwethamin flowers sells for K10,000. If flowers are produced in Arakan State, we no longer need to order chrysanthemums from mainland Myanmar. Arakan State produces some flowers such as aster,” said U Maung Hla Win, a flower hawker from Sittwe.

Cyclone Mocha, which made landfall over Arakan State on May 14, damaged many flower farms, leading to the shortage of locally grown flowers this season.

“We planted 2,000 to 5,000 flowers each, depending on our convenience. This year, almost all of those who planted flowers faced destruction from the storm. Cyclone Mocha destroyed about 15,000 flowers,” said Daw Htay Htay Lwin, a flower grower from Yaybyukan Village in Ponnagyun Township.

Flower vendors who buy and sell from mainland Myanmar are increasing their prices in part due to factoring in the added transportation costs, and also face the withering of their flowers and damage to them due to travel delays.

“If the flowers are grown in Arakan State, they will be fresh and not too expensive,” said Daw Saw Aye Cho, a flower vendor at Sittwe’s Myoma Market. “If we buy flowers from mainland Myanmar, they will not be as fresh when they arrive here, and the price is still high.”