Mother's Day is approaching, and the retail price of carnations has risen to 50 yuan per stem
This Sunday is Mother's Day, and many people will buy carnations on Mother's Day to express their feelings for their mothers. Affected by the large volume and falling prices of carnations last year, flower farmers were more conservative in planting this year. Compared with the same period last year, the volume sent to the Taipei flower market decreased by more than 50%, and the auction price was also more than twice that of last year. On the 10th, the terminal retail price of domestically grown carnations in Taipei City reached 50 yuan per stem.
According to data from the agricultural products wholesale market price website, on May 10 last year, 39,469 bundles of carnations (each bundle contains 10 stems) were sent to the Taipei market, with an average auction price of 34.5 yuan per bundle. On May 10 this year, 15,113 bundles of carnations were sent to the Taipei market for auction, with an average auction price of 76.4 yuan per bundle.
Kuo Hui-shan, chairwoman of the Taipei Florist Association, said that because prices collapsed last year, farmers were relatively conservative in planting this year, resulting in lower output and relatively higher prices. Taking the 10th as an example, the terminal retail price of packaged carnations reached 50 yuan per stem. Kuo Hui-shan said that carnation prices rise and fall differently every year, which is unfair to both consumers and farmers, and called on agricultural authorities to pay attention to flower production and marketing issues.
Wang An-shih, director of the Taichung Branch of the Agriculture and Food Agency, said that more than half of the carnation planting area is in Tianwei Township, Changhua County. The reasons for the recent higher prices include continuous rainfall making harvesting difficult and the approach of Mother's Day. Chen Ping-sen, director of the Changhua County Agriculture Department, said that due to reasons such as last year's nine-in-one elections, farmers expected candidates to buy more carnations to give to voters, so production was higher and prices were lower. Affected by last year's prices, farmers were relatively conservative in planting this year, leading to lower volume and higher prices.
Hsu Hui-fei, section chief of the Crop Production Section of the Agriculture and Food Agency, also said that due to last year's bumper harvest and falling prices, some farmers adjusted production capacity, and the carnation planting area decreased this year. As for whether registration would be used to adjust production and marketing, Hsu Hui-fei said that registered planting crops are mainly items under the green payment program for land, while for other crops farmers still judge supply and demand for planting on their own.
