CHENGDU, Feb.13 (NBD) -- As Valentines' Day is approaching, rose prices skyrocketed in recent days.

It is reported that roses imported from Ecuador are sold as high as 1500 yuan (217.7 US dollars) a bunch, averaging 60 yuan (8.7 US dollars) each.

NBD learned from flower markets last Saturday that only a few are sold at extremely high prices. The wholesale price of most imported ones in Guangzhou is no more than 20 yuan (2.9 US dollars). But flower shop owners in Shenzhen admit that some imported roses really can be sold up to 100 yuan (68.88 US dollars) each. Rose prices posted on the official website of Roseonly even surpassed that figure.

Owner of Qingyi Flower in Kunming told NBD that roses grown at home are sold only at 5-6 yuan (0.72-0.87 US dollars) each. While imported ones have to cover tariffs and distributor's profits. Adding up all this, the wholesale price of imported ones from our company is between 10-20 yuan each (1.45-2.9 US dollars).

Then why they vary so much?

China at present lacks advanced growing and preservation techniques. Poor transportation is also an important factor, he added. So buyers still prefer domestic ones because it is more economical.

NBD reporters learned from a flower market at Guangzhou that 90% of wholesalers prefer home-grown roses from Guangzhou and Kunming. A shop owner surnamed Zhang told NBD that as orders of imported roses reduced more than 60% compared with last year, they dare not to buy in large volumes.

Email: tanyuhan@nbd.com.cn