Fri Mar 14 13:51:04 UTC 2025: ## Salem Flower Farmers Demand E-Auction to Stabilize Prices
**Salem, Tamil Nadu, March 14, 2025** – Flower farmers in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, are urging the state government to implement an e-auction system to prevent exploitation by middlemen and stabilize flower prices. Cultivation of arali (Indian oleander) flowers, a major crop in the region, spans over 7,000 acres, with another 5,000 acres dedicated to other flower varieties.
Farmers claim that mediators manipulate prices, purchasing flowers at low rates and storing them before selling at inflated prices. This practice leaves farmers with little bargaining power, as arali flowers must be harvested daily. Last week, the price of arali plummeted to ₹30 per kg, significantly below the ₹60 production cost (including packing and transportation). Farmers assert that a price of at least ₹100 per kg is needed for profitability.
G. Thangavel, president of the Salem district Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association of Tamil Nadu, advocates for an e-auction system similar to the National Agriculture Market (e-Nam) to ensure fair prices and protect the livelihoods of over 5,000 flower farmers in the district. The unstable nature of arali prices, cultivated year-round, further underscores the urgency of this demand.
First Piper 