Jasmine flowers are in great demand for Mother’s Day every year as they are the traditional flower for the occasion, with children giving jasmine flowers or jasmine garlands to their mothers on the special day.
However, the demand this year combined with weather conditions affecting the price of growing jasmine flowers has seen the prices at local markets spiral upwards.
Patra Chalothon, who operates a jasmine plantation at Tha Ruea in Thalang, said that the rise in jasmine flower prices began at the beginning of the month, when they were already selling for B500-700 per kilogramme.
The prices have continued to rise, and now cost up to B1,000 a kilo, she said.
Even with the sky-high prices, the number of jasmine flowers available still have not been able to meet demand, Ms Patra said.
“Many factors affect the prices, but the most telling factor this year has been the weather. Jasmine flowers do not like rain, but Phuket has seen a lot of rain this year. This has limited supply,” she said.
Another key factor this year is the number of people selling jasmine flowers independently online.
“In addition to the vendors at flower markets, people have turned to selling jasmine flowers with a personal touch through Facebook. The extra attention for this important occasion has created added value which has been well received by customers,” Ms Patra said.