FLOWER vendors in Carbon Public Market reported a lower supply of roses from farms in the mountain barangays of Cebu City.
With this, roses will cost much higher that these were priced during the Valentine season in 2016, perhaps even double.
As of yesterday, Feb. 7, a dozen red roses went for P150 in Carbon Public Market. On regular days, this is sold at only P50.
By Feb. 14, vendors estimate prices of roses to run from P300 to P500 a dozen.
Prices of other flowers, however, like tiger mums, carnations, and Malaysian mums have increased only slightly, said Cherry Luna of Double M Flower Shop.
“Gamay ra ang supply sa roses karon kaysa last year. Tungod man daw ni sa uwan-uwan ug landslide pag January (The supply of roses is less this year than last year. We were told it’s because of the rains and the landslides last month),” Luna said.
Flower vendors in Carbon get their supplies from Sirao and Babag Dos in Cebu City, as well as in Metro Manila, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.
Last Jan. 16, heavy rains caused floods in some parts of Visayas and Mindanao, as well as landslides in Barangay Sirao, where Cebu City’s flower farms are located.
In February last year, a dozen roses cost P250, said Lucy Borbon of Englis Flower Shop.
Creativity is also in extra demand this season. A well-arranged bouquet of roses can cost as much as P1,000.
Flower vendors like Luna have already received increasing orders, as many as 200 dozens daily, from neighboring provinces like Iloilo, Dumaguete, Masbate, and Negros since January.
Generally, Luna said, the flowers are placed inside a flower storage container where they are less likely to wither over a longer period.
“Mopalit sila daan unya ila ibutang sa storage. Pero inig (February) 14 pa nila ibaligya kay momahal naman (Traders from other provinces buy early then place the blooms in storage. They wait until Feb. 14 to sell, when the prices go up),” said Luna.
The 37-year old flower vendor has been in business for 10 years. Each year, November is the peak season for all kinds of flowers, with the commemoration of All Souls’ Day February, she said, is strongest only for roses that come in varied colors.
Beyond February and November, flower vendors find income opportunities from weddings, funerals, and corporate events.