Even when the women pool their resources and purchase collectively, they often still aren’t able to match the cash-rich agents, many of whom advance large amounts of money to farmers and ultimately have greater control over the production process. But their sustained efforts to eliminate the middleman haven’t always been successful. To help combat this inequality, the DHAN foundation has helped train more than 250 women to sell flowers for a livelihood, setting up microfinance schemes to help them secure bank loans and other support. If flower vendors like Dhanalakshmi could purchase their jasmine directly from local farmers, rather than via the commissioning agent, they would make much better margins. “Lack of capital and the fear of taking a risk can be an issue,” Kumar said. It’s hard for women without means to compete in an industry where trade can be volatile and prices fluctuate wildly. Today’s price is 1,000 rupees per kilo,” he added. “In an off-season, as the demand for the flower grows and production lessens, the price of a kilo of jasmine can swing between 400 and 2,000 rupees. “It’s always been a booming industry and vendors can make 5,000 to 10,000 rupees a day if they cater to export orders.” “My father and grandfather sold flowers in this very space before I inherited the business,” Rajendran said. The blooms, packed in ice to preserve their freshness, are shipped around the world, some ending up at high-profile perfumeries like Dior and Chanel to be crushed for their sweet essence. S N Rajendran, a third-generation commissioning agent, supplies jasmine for the perfumery industry. While the flower sellers – most of whom are female – sell their strands of jasmine from makeshift platforms at the market’s entrance, the mostly male commissioning agents negotiate large volumes directly with local farmers. Nowhere is this disparity more evident than at Mattuthavani. But it’s the men who seem to be reaping the rewards.ĭr Uma Kannan, a social and cultural anthropologist and author of Madurai Malligai: Madurai and Its Jasmine – A Celebration, said that “the workers who pick and string jasmine flowers, who sell them on the streets, who do the more mundane jobs are women, but those that sell in larger quantities, cornering a lion's share of the profits, are men.” It’s clearly a business where women do much of the work. The flowers, packed in cane or jute baskets, are immediately transported to Madurai’s open-air flower market in the neighbourhood of Mattuthavani, where sellers such as Dhanalakshmi purchase their daily stock. These women receive 50 rupees for every container of flowers they pick, picking eight to 10 a day in peak season. “There a great deal of flowers to pick then.” “During the peak season of March to May, our day begins at 5 am,” Muthupillar said. Here, jasmine pickers, all women, had been working since dawn. The jasmine shrub, just 60cm tall, was spread wide and thick as far as the eye could see. Everywhere I turned, my feet sinking inches deep into the rich red, loamy soil, I could see a wild riot of green. Even in January, the midday sun was harsh on my back. To find out more, I headed to the small village of Parampupatti, one of many agricultural villages that dot the outskirts of Madurai. “Madurai malligai has a distinctive shape, scent and texture that sets it apart from the other varieties,” said A Madhan Kumar, programme leader at local NGO DHAN Foundation, which played an instrumental part in securing the GI tag. In 2013, due to efforts of agriculturalists and activists, the variety received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, protecting it by law and establishing its quality. Its waxy, white, oblong flowers are much more fragrant than other types, and the thicker petals can retain moisture and stay fresh for up to two days. Hindu believers decorate their deities with garlands of the blooms, and no wedding ceremony in the region is considered complete without the white buds gracing nearly every inch of the marriage hall.Īlthough there are many varieties of jasmine in Tamil Nadu, Madurai malligai is especially beloved, both locally and internationally. The flower features in ancient temple carvings and paintings, while jasmine motifs and patterns have found their way into traditional local jewellery, especially necklaces, earrings, anklets and bangles. Many women in Tamil Nadu fasten a string of gleaming jasmine flowers to their hair as it’s considered a symbol of good fortune.