NAKHON RATCHASIMA - Jasmine flower prices for Mother’s Day garlands have surged more than 30% compared with a year ago, forcing vendors to raise garland prices while absorbing part of the higher costs to avoid driving away customers.
Mother’s Day on August 12 always brings a significant increase in garland sales, with customers buying flowers to pay respects to their mothers and small retailers purchasing garlands for resale.
Jasmine flowers normally cost between 500 and 700 baht per kilogramme, but prices typically soar to well above 1,000 baht in the period immediately preceding Mother’s Day. This year, vendors say they are paying at least 30% more for raw materials than they did in August last year.
At the Chai Narong Market in Dan Khun Thot district of Nakhon Ratchasima, vendors said jasmine currently cost 400 to 500 baht more per kilogramme compared with a year ago. A flower shop owner said jasmine prices have increased from between 1,200 and 1,300 baht per kilogramme to between 1,600 and 1,800 baht this year.
However, vendors are taking a cautious approach to ordering supplies, as ordering too much and being left with unsold stock could result in big losses.
At the Mae Kim Heng market in Muang district on Tuesday, vendors were working at full speed to prepare jasmine garlands for pre-orders.
Rattikan Phayaphimai, the owner of Waen Flower Shop, said jasmine bought directly from growers was currently priced at about 1,100 baht per kilogramme, excluding transport costs of around 150 baht for a small crate and 200 baht for a large crate.
After transport, the cost of jasmine can reach 1,300 to 1,500 baht per kilogramme, she said.
Despite the higher costs, vendors have been reluctant to pass the full increase on to customers. Ms Rattikan said her shop has raised the price of made-to-order jasmine garlands by only about 30 baht each, absorbing part of the additional cost.
Other flowers used for garlands have also become more expensive.
Dok rak, commonly used in traditional garlands, has risen from just over 100 baht per kilogramme to more than 300 baht. Roses, previously sold at 30-40 baht per 100 and rarely exceeding 90 baht even during peak periods, now cost about 1.50 baht per stem.
Large or more elaborate garlands must be ordered in advance because they require large quantities of flowers and more time to make, vendors say.
This shifts the focus for shops as they are now prioritising ready-made stock for standard-sized garlands that can be produced quickly to meet demand.
The rise in flower prices is believed to be linked to erratic weather, with alternating rain and sunshine affecting both the quality and quantity of flowers produced by growers. At the same time, demand has risen sharply ahead of Mother’s Day.
