Air cargo is rushing from Coimbatore to UAE, laden with flowers for Outram

Onam, the 10-day harvest festival starts on August 30 with flowers and snacks taking off from Coimbatore.

Tons of golden marigolds, white chrysanthemums, purple cargo wadamali (gomphrena), fragrant white Sanbanyi (Magnolia), Tulsicut roses and Madurai Mall Flowers are being moved to destinations in the UAE in time onapo kalam, multi-coloured floral decoration is an integral part of Onam. According to Coimbatore airport officials, the commodity mix of export cargo always sees an increase in demand for flowers during Onam.

Tons of flowers exported in time onapo kalam
| Image credit: Special arrangement

“We send flowers like jasmine, Sanbanyi As well as marigolds from Nilakottai, Satyamangalam and Hosur; Arali from Salem and lotus from Nagercoil to Dubai,” said K Sethumadhavan, owner of Vanguard Exports, who has been exporting traditional flowers for over 20 years. Five tonnes of flowers were airlifted to airports in Inbatore, Tiruchi, Bengaluru and Kerala. “Markets there are selling well in the last four days of Onam from September 4 to 8, ending with Thiruonam,” he said , adding that unlike other commodities, flowers require an uninterrupted cold chain and specialized packaging.

flowers on the way

And Jasmine and Sanbanyi Packed in styrofoam boxes, other flowers are packed in ventilated five-kilogram cartons. “Flowers must arrive at the airport by 2pm that day to ensure they stay fresh. While most flowers sell for an average of Rs 250 per kilo during the festival, the price of jasmine is close to Rs 800,” Sethumadhavan said.

Vanguard Exports send traditional flowers like yellow chrysanthemum and white chrysanthemum

In Madurai, which has become India’s “jasmine capital”, flower exports from Tiruchi, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Coimbatore and Madurai airports reach 3 tons per day. “Of these, more than a ton was shipped to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah,” said N Jegatheesan, president of the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Madurai, a flower exporter. “We noticed demand for loose flowers during Onam (less than 20% of our daily consignments) pukaram decorate. Indian communities in Dubai and the U.S. are also celebrating religious and cultural festivals by offering flowers to the gods in their homes and temples. We also send neat bundles of jasmine flowers. ”

Festive Snacks

A1 Chips gave away ultra-thin banana chips, Naruwitu chips, Saqqara (jaggery) potato chips and jackfruit chips | High resolution stock photo | CLIPARTO Image credit: Special arrangement

It’s also snack season. “After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Malayans who have made the UAE their second home want to enjoy a grand don’t eat It’s like the good old days,” said Sudeesh Dhamodaran, co-managing director of A1 Chips, which makes more than 800 types of sweets and appetizers. “There is a huge demand for ultra-thin banana chips, Naruwitu chips, Saqqara (Jaggery) potato chips and jackfruit chips. We’ve shipped 12 tonnes of snacks to Dubai,” added Sudeesh, whose appetizers have reached as many as 27 international destinations. Including the US, UK, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.

Jubaid Babu, who exports cold-pressed sesame oil, peanut oil and coconut oil under the name of Zohan’s Paripoorna, said consumers tended to be healthy because of the pandemic. “This month alone, we shipped 6,000 litres of cold-pressed coconut oil to the UAE. This is likely driven by the healthy snacking trend, where they use cold-pressed oil to make festive snacks at home,” he said.

Roses ready to ship | Image credit: Special Arrangement

Capitalize on the trend of young entrepreneurs experimenting with healthy snacks. “Young people who have lost their jobs during the pandemic are starting to think about niche food businesses in export markets. We have several new units in Coimbatore that offer quality confectionery and snacks. They use cold-pressed oils, avoid white sugar, and use products including Organic ingredients including rice,” said M Sivakumar, secretary of the Coimbatore Regional Hotels Association.

Madurai-based Zamco Foods, which exports sweets and snacks under the Ajwa brand, has shipped 110 tonnes of food items including Mrukumixture, Alisimavu, and palm jaggery by shipping the goods to West Asia. Business Manager (Export) S Shankarganesh said: “A month before Onam, the port of Kochi and JNPT in Mumbai started to buzz as it takes at least 20 days to reach the UAE. While Qatar is our main market, we also cater to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.”