The stem of this coriander rose is about 35 cm long. If florists in the state had enough cold storage to store minipaul roses, perhaps there would be no need to import southern roses. But the florists of the state have been suffering from cold storage problem for several years. Narayanchandra Nayak, general secretary of Sara Bangla Floriculture Association, said, ‘There is no shortage of multipurpose cold storage in our state. But there is no freezer dedicated only to flowers. In 2004, one such ice house was constructed in Panshkura. But now it doesn’t work anymore. Parts have been stolen during the Corona lockdown. There is no place to store the resulting flowers.’
This is why the florists of the state are forced to import flowers from abroad as Valentine’s Day approaches. Narayanchandra Nayak says, ‘minipal roses are usually priced around five rupees. This time its price increased to 15-20 taka. But Dutch roses are mainly imported from Bangalore. It costs a lot more – about 25 rupees.’ Due to the lack of suitable storage facilities for cultivated edible flowers, florists are forced to import flowers to meet the ever-increasing demand.