Bull run for Shankarapura jasmine ends

October 10, 2011

mallige

Mangalore, October 10: The Bull run this season for the famed fragrant Shankarapura Mallige or popularly known as 'Sooji Mallige' has ended. The rate of one 'atte' of flowers, which had crossed Rs 820 a week back, has now fallen sharply to Rs 150 on Sunday. It was quoting at Rs 210 on Saturday.

The more fragrant but less fancied Jaaji mallige, also grown in Udupi region, was quoted at Rs 45 on Sunday and on Saturday it was Rs 65. It was at a high of Rs 350 last week. About 800 jasmine flowers, depending on their size, are strung together using plantain stalk to make one chendu and four chendus make one atte.

Udupi Mallige Belegaarara Sangha president Ramakrishna Sharma Bantakallu says that the rates fluctuate wildly on a day to day depending on the supply and demand of jasmine, which is a fancy item. There are merchants in Mumbai who buy Rs 5 lakh worth of flowers on a day as when there is high demand during festivities and marriage seasons,'' he said. Apart from Mumbai, the coastal regions of Mangalore, Udupi and Kerala are the major markets for this flower.

There are about 10,000 families engaged in jasmine cultivation in the coastal districts extending from Kasargod to Uttara Kannada, with a maximum number of 7,500 families being in Udupi district. Sharma says the rates are likely to go up again during Deepavali and marriage season. The lowest rates an 'atte' quotes is Rs 80 during off season and it sometimes goes down to as low as Rs 40 during transport strikes. A rate of Rs 200 per 'atte' is remunerative,'' observes Sharma.

The fancy rate for the fancied flowers depends upon the whims and fancies of the wholesale merchants based on the demand from customers and the supply. Fortunately in the case of jasmine growers, whatever the hike, barring a commission of Rs 10 or Rs 20 the entire sum is passed on to the growers unlike in other agro sectors where middle men make windfall profits. We get a daily rate from wholesalers and we give the maximum to the merchant who quotes the highest,'' says Sharma.

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Agencies
March 14,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 14: Bus-stands and railway stations in this IT city wore a deserted look on Saturday and malls, cinemas, pubs and night clubs remained shut as part of the lockdown announced by the state government following the country's first coronavirus fatality reported from Karnataka on March 12.

Six people in Karnataka have contracted the virus including the 76-year-old man who died due to this disease from Kalaburagi in the state.

A day after chief minister B S Yediyurappa announced the shutdown for a week, the usual rush at the Central bus-stand was missing.

"Since yesterday there is slackness. Today again we are witnessing the same," a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation official told PTI.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, which runs inter-city and inter-state buses, too has seen a decline in its revenue.

"For the past five to six days we are seeing a drop of Rs 32 lakh to Rs 35 lakh in our daily revenue of Rs eight crore," Bengaluru divisional controller B T Prabhakar Reddy said.

On March 13, Yediyurappa issued instructions to stop all kinds of exhibitions, summer camps, conferences, fairs, marriage, sports and engagement events and birthday parties state-wide for a week from Saturday.

Business at pubs and aars have taken a hit due to the virus threat.

"Our businesses have suffered somewhere between 40 per cent and 70 per cent.

It is very difficult to cope with the situation," said Manu Chandra, Bengaluru chapter head of National Restaurant Association of India.

In Chitradurga district, the annual Rathayatra was cancelled whereas in Bengaluru, a temple displayed a board that it will not distribute any 'teertha' (holy water) or 'prasad' (offering) to devotees in view of the coronavirus scare.

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News Network
July 22,2020

Udupi, Jul 22: Deputy Commissioner G Jagadeesh on Wednesday announced lifting of ban on movement of people and vehicles with immediate effect in the borders of Kerala which was banned during lockdown.

The announcement comes hours after Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced that lockdown in Bengaluru and other parts of the state will not be extended any further, suggesting people should wear masks and maintain physical distancing strictly.

Mr Jagadeesh noted that although the seal down of the borders of the district would be lifted, checkposts on the border would be set up and urged people to enter the district only in case of emergency.

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News Network
April 12,2020
Mangaluru, Apr 12: The spread of COVID-19 in the country has been contained through the prompt, effective and timely measures taken by the Centre, BJP Karnataka president and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said on Sunday.
 
The Centre brought in stringent regulations including the lockdown at the right time and ensured that the pandemic did not spread rapidly, he told reporters here.
 
Kateel inspected the railway coaches which have been converted into isolation wards for infected patients at the central railway station here.
 
He said 20 out of the 32 railway coaches re-designed into wards by Southern Railway's Palakkad division, will be stationed here.
 
The wards are equipped with necessary medical equipment and facilities for doctors and paramedical staff.
 
Kateel said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown how such difficult situations need to be handled.
 
The lockdown was announced in time so that coronavirus spread was checked and all the central departments carried out their works efficiently to monitor the situation, he said.
 
Mangaluru South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath was also present.

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