Madurai:
The relationship between South Indian women and Jasmine flowers go back to several decades and 'Madurai Malli'(local name for Jasmine flower) needs no introduction for them.
But now, their favourite flower is literally being nipped in the bud. More and more Jasmine farms are converting into housing plots as farmers are selling them out to builders.
Why? Well it's not just lucrative deals but several reasons like shift in climatic conditions and pest attacks have brought down yields and cultivating under such circumstances is difficult for the average farmers.
Meet Ramasami, a jasmine farmer who has decided to sell his five-acre farm to a builder as pest attack brought down the yield to merely 30%.
''Today we don't get the same yield we used to. We have no choice but to opt to survive,'' said Ramasami
A decade ago, Jasmine was a five thousand acre crop in the temple town of Madurai with an annual turnover of 150 crore. Now, the supply has shrunk to less than half as more and more farmers either sell out or switch to more profitable crops.
''We will switch to construction work to survive,'' said another Jasmine farmer
The worst hit, are the exporters of Jasmine extract who are finding it difficult to meet the increasing demand for the Jasmine ingredient which is used in perfumeries.
'Our clients will look for new locations, where Jasmine extract is cheaper. And Madurai will fall off the Jasmine map," said SN Karthikayan, the director of director of a Yes Yen Aroma Private Limited.
Though the Jasmine farms in the state are soon depleting, not much attention has fallen on this sphere from the government. If there is no intervention to save the Jasmine farms, soon 'Madurai Malli' will be a thing of past.