V-Day effect: KIA flies out 5.2 m rose stems

Ahead of Valentine's Day, a record 5.2 million rose stems were exported from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here to 25 countries worldwide.

The export figures showed a whopping 325 metric tonnes of rose stems flying off to international destinations from the country's third busiest airport.

Compared to the 293 metric tonnes exported in the same period last year, this is a substantial jump.

Data released by the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) on Wednesday showed that the roses were exported to 36 destinations in 25 countries. Only exports between February 1 and 14 were considered. The roses were headed to Malaysia, Kuwait, Singapore, Japan, the US, Lebanon, South Korea, Australia, UAE, UK, Qatar, Jordan, Denmark, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Oman, France, Indonesia, Belgium, Bahrain, Netherlands, New Zealand, Azerbaijan and Greece. Last year, 4.7 million rose stems were exported in the same period to 19 destinations in 15 countries.

BIAL managing director and CEO Hari Marar said: "While this has much to do with the quality of roses grown in the region, we believe that the increase in destinations is also due to our consistent focus on efficient handling and establishing KIA as the singular gateway for cargo traffic."

The airport currently has seven dedicated freighter aircraft bays and facilities to handle a wide range of goods, including rose stems.

Malaysia, Kuwait and Singapore were among the top three countries to which roses were exported.

While 52,459 kg of roses were exported to Malaysia, Kuwait and Singapore accounted for 39,341 and 31,615 kg, respectively.

Taj Mahal is among the most sought-after varieties of rose stems exported from this region, according to flower growers.

This is due to its bigger bud size and longer shelf life. The export consignments arrive at

KIA from farms on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Ooty, Krishnagiri and surrounding areas.