As Onam approaches, air cargo is rapidly moving from Coimbatore to UAE laden with flowers, ultra-thin banana chips and cold-pressed coconut oil.
As Onam approaches, air cargo is rapidly moving from Coimbatore to UAE laden with flowers, ultra-thin banana chips and cold-pressed coconut oil.
Along with Onam, the 10-day harvest festival begins on August 30, flowers and snacks are beginning from Coimbatore.
consignment with tones golden yellow marigold, white chrysanthemum, violet vadamalli (Gomphrena), fragrant white companion (magnolia), basilcut roses and Madurai Mallick Flowers are moving fast to destinations in UAE in just no time onapookalam, multicolored flower decoration which is an integral part of Onam. According to Coimbatore airport officials, the commodity portfolio on export cargo always sees a rise in the demand for flowers during Onam.
Tons of flowers are exported on time onapookalam
, photo credit: special arrangement
“We send flowers like jasmine, companion and marigolds from Neelkottai, Sathyamangalam and Hosur; Salem to Arali and Nagercoil to Dubai lotus,” says K Sethumadhavan, proprietor of Vanguard Exports, which has been exporting traditional flowers for more than two decades. He sends five tonnes of flowers every day in air cargo from airports in Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Bengaluru and Kerala. “The markets there see brisk sales during the last four days of Onam from September 4 to 8, which ends with Thiruonam,” he says, adding that unlike other commodities, flowers are stored in a monolithic cold chain and special packaging. is needed.
fresh flowers on the way
While jasmine and companion are packed in styrofoam boxes, other flowers are shipped in ventilated five kg cartons. “The flowers have to reach the airports by 2 pm on the same day to ensure that they remain fresh. While most flowers sell for an average of ₹250 per kg during the festival, the price of jasmine touches ₹800,” says Sethumadhavan.
Vanguard Exports sends traditional flowers like yellow and white chrysanthemums
In Madurai, which has emerged as the ‘jasmine capital’ of India, the export of flower consignments from the airports of Tiruchi, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Coimbatore and Madurai reaches three tonnes every day. “A ton of this goes to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah,” says N Jegatheesan, president of the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Madurai, and a flower exporter. “We see a demand for loose flowers (which is less than 20% of our daily consignment) during Onam Pookalam Decorations Indian communities in Dubai and the US also offer fresh flowers to the deities in their homes and temples, celebrating religious and cultural festivals. We also ship bundles of cleaned jasmine.”
festival snacking
A1 Chips has shipped Ultra Thin Banana Chips, Nalu Vettu chips, government: (Jaggery) chips and jackfruit chips. photo credit: special arrangement
It is also breakfast season. “After two years of peace due to the pandemic, Malayalees who have made the UAE their second home want to enjoy a grand onasadya Like the good old times,” says Sudesh Dhamodaran, joint managing director of A1 Chips, which makes over 800 types of sweets and namkeens. “There is a huge demand for ultra thin banana chips, Nalu Vettu chips, government: (Jaggery) chips and jackfruit chips. We have already shipped 12 tonnes of snacks to Dubai,” says Sudish, whose flavors reach 27 international destinations. Including the US, UK, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.
Zubaid Babu, who exports cold-pressed sesame oil, groundnut oil and coconut oil under the name of Zohan ki Poorna, says consumers are leaning towards good health due to the pandemic. “We have sent 6,000 liters of cold-pressed coconut oil to the UAE this month alone. It may have been inspired by the healthy snacking trend, where they make festive snacks at home using cold-pressed oils,” he says.
Rose ready to send | photo credit: special arrangement
Capitalizing on this trend, young entrepreneurs are experimenting with healthy snacks. “The youth who lost their jobs during the pandemic started specialized food businesses keeping in mind the export markets. We have several new units in Coimbatore offering quality sweets and snacks. They use cold-pressed oils, avoid white sugar and use organic ingredients, including rice, says M Sivakumar, secretary, Coimbatore District Hotels Association.
Madurai-based Jamco Foods, which exports sweets and snacks under the Ajwa brand, has shipped 110 tonnes of food items. murukkumix, arisi mavu, and ship goods to West Asia via palm molasses. S Sankaraganesh, Trade Manager (Export) says, “The Kochi port and JNPT port in Mumbai start buzzing with food cargo during the month before Onam, 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.