Where’s the love? Rose suppliers suffering on Valentine’s Day

The owner of a flower shop with gorgeous displays in the window admitted that she orders her roses from Chiang Mai and China because they’re inexpensive and the cooler weather up north has produced even more beautiful blossoms than last year. 
She ordered 2,000 A-grade roses from Chiang Mai and 1,500 from Kunming, just across the border in China. 
She sells rose bouquets for between Bt800 and Bt3,000 and gets orders from both the private and public sectors. Surprise Valentine’s Day deliveries to a sweetheart can be arranged.
But there’s less “love” in the air across the country this year, with drought and the slumped economy cutting farm production of flowers by 70 per cent and orders by 50 per cent.
One large-scale rose grower in Loei said he’s usually swamped by demand ahead of Valentine’s Day, but not this year.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said he plants four rai of roses every season – raising beautiful, bright blooms – and orders come in from many provinces. 
He usually charges Bt400 per package of 50 roses, but this year has cut the price to Bt250.