Prices of jasmine have increased as the country prepares to celebrate Mother’s Day on August 12. Following Thai tradition on this special day, children will present jasmine garlands to their mothers, hence the rise in demand.
This year, the price per kilo for jasmine at Sarn Pu Dam market in Phitsanuloke has risen from Bt600 to Bt800. Additionally, the supply of the flowers to the markets this year is reduced, due to fungal infestation during the rainy season, also resulting in higher prices.
Jamnien Kongklang, 61, a jasmine garland vendor in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pimai district, said that the price of jasmine has already doubled, adding that her profits have also doubled ahead of Mother’s Day because more people are buying the garlands.
She said vendors are already making garlands in preparation for the day. They pack and freeze them. The prices range from Bt10 to Bt350, depending on size.
Meanwhile, people in Khon Kaen’s Muang district are using windmill bush flowers (Tabernaemontana pandacaqui) for their garlands, instead of jasmine, because of the high price.
They grow the windmill bushes in their backyard and use them for their garlands. Each day, vendors make about 50 garlands at a price of Bt20 each.
Yaowalak Samranbamrung, 54, told reporters that she used to grow jasmine in her backyard, but now she has windmill bush flowers instead. “It’s true that the price of jasmine is much higher than the windmill bush flowers, but it’s much more difficult to take care of jasmine. Sometimes it is Bt1,000 per kilo, but I gave up growing jasmine trees due to a series of disease and fungus infestations,” she said.
