Saturday, November 03, 2007
More planters, few buyers affect sales of flowers
STIFF competition brought down the sales of flower vendors in Barangay Busay, Cebu City.
Even with the commemoration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, there is a slow demand for flowers this year because of a new plantation being developed in Barangay Mantalongon, Dalaguete town, southern Cebu.
“People in Dalaguete found the place a potential area for growing flowers so they took the opportunity of making it a source of living,” Department of Agriculture (DA) 7 Director Eduardo Lecciones Jr. told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview.
He said people from Iloilo, Manila and Oriental Negros used to buy flowers from Barangay Busay.
“Now, they are becoming knowledgeable already. Some have developed their own plantation in Valencia, Oriental Negros to cut on fare and minimize spoilage,” Lecciones said.
Shortage
Some farmers in Busay also experienced shortage in supply of flowers because of a drought early this year.
“Hinay ang buwak sugod atong Mayo, crisis man gud tungod sa init (The supply of flowers has been inadequate since last May because of the drought),” said Emmanuel Abadan, 27, a farmer for 20 years, adding that this is the reason they raised their prices by P5 to P10.
Some flower vendors from other parts of the country also had to raise the prices due to limited supply. However, some vendors said majority of the production in Busay remains just the same.
Yvonne Patalinghug, 23, a flower vendor in Busay for more than 10 years, said that although the onslaught of drought, also had an adverse effect on the production of flowers, the prices and supply remain the same.
Earnings
“Only the number of buyers changed,” she said in Cebuano, adding that there are few buyers this year.
“Bago raman nahuman ang election, nanguli sa ilaha ang mga tao (The barangay elections just recently concluded so many people went home to their provinces),” said Mary Ann Mabini, 30.
“We have to make the prices cheaper because there are few buyers,” Patalinghug said.
Jose Pador Borres, 43, said they only earned P2,000 for this year’s All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. (TEP)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (November 3, 2007 issue)
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