KUALA LUMPUR: Florists say rainy weather in Cameron Highlands has disrupted supplies of popular locally cultivated flowers such as roses and chrysanthemums, forcing them to rely more on imports to meet demand during university graduations and festive seasons.
While these flowers are not native to Malaysia, the cooler climate in Cameron Highlands allows them to be cultivated locally.
Roy Tan, who manages a florist branch in Central Market, said supplies from Cameron Highlands to his shop have dropped by about 50%.
“My supplier told me last week that due to the heavy rain there, their flower supply to us is low,” he said, adding that flowers are now being imported from India and China.
“My affected flowers are gerbera, daisy, sunflower, lily and chrysanthemum.
“There is a lot of demand for these flowers due to upcoming graduation events,” he said.
He said sales have yet to decline as imported stock is still available.
“Since we are running on low local flower supply, we won’t give them out much because we are saving them for graduation bouquets.
“Instead, we use imported ones, which are more expensive. For example, a few stalks of local gerbera cost RM12, but imported ones cost RM20,” he said.
He noted that carnations remain relatively stable, although some blooms have become smaller.
Asked about maintaining flowers during rainy days, Tan said the situation remains manageable despite lower customer traffic.
Similarly, Neela Veni, operations manager of another flower shop in Central Market, said supplies of local gerberas from Cameron Highlands had fallen by 70% due to the rain.
“Local gerbera is in high demand, followed by roses, sunflowers and chrysanthemums,” she said.
“Sunflowers have seen a 50% drop in supply, whereas roses and chrysanthemums are not as badly affected. Only coloured chrysanthemums are in short supply.”
She said demand remains strong despite supply disruptions.
“People are looking for local gerberas because they are big and cheaper.
“When production drops, customers don’t have similar flowers they can switch to at the same price and size,” she said.
Ben Lee, who manages a flower shop in Petaling Jaya, said supplies of roses and daisies from Cameron Highlands had fallen by 50% due to the rainy weather.
“There is high demand for those flowers during convocations and Chinese Valentine’s Day on May 20 from our shop,” he said.
“Because our supplier informed us about the situation two weeks ago, our sales have also dropped by 20%.
“There are still imported flowers from India and China, but they cost twice as much compared to our supplies from Cameron Highlands.”
He said a locally supplied bundle of roses costs around RM40, while imported ones are priced at about RM60.
In George Town, flower sellers are also facing problems linked to warmer conditions in Cameron Highlands, with blooms arriving wilted, duller in colour, smaller in size, and with a shorter shelf life.
At her flower stall along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, G. Dhana, 71, said some flowers were already showing signs of drying when they arrived.
“The bunches now often have fewer than 10 buds, and the flowers are smaller and not as colourful as before.
“These may seem like small things, but customers notice.
“They buy these flowers to place at the altar or as offerings for their departed loved ones.
“We know the problem is beyond our suppliers’ control, but it can be hard to explain that to customers,” she said.
Dhana soaks the stalks in water as usual, but some blooms still wilt quickly.
“We remove the bad ones, but some stalks come with fewer flowers. Customers have complained and we feel bad, so we sometimes lower the price.
“That means we may sell at a loss, but what troubles us more is that people are buying them for religious offerings, and it is not nice to give them flowers that are already wilting.
“We receive fresh stock every other day. The garlands last longer because we usually choose the best flowers to make them,” she said.
Warmer conditions in Cameron Highlands have been noted in recent years.
In February last year, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry told Parliament that the highland resort recorded an average daily temperature of 18.91°C in 2024, the highest since records began in 1969. This was 0.86°C above the long-term average recorded between 1991 and 2020.
However, some flower farms in Cameron Highlands appear to be coping better with the changing conditions.
Fazilah Khalid, 50, a third-generation flower shop owner, said her supplies had not been affected.
“I know the weather has been warmer, but our flowers have still been arriving in good condition.
“We have worked with the same supplier for many years, and so far the chrysanthemums and roses are still fresh.
