Plant business in Medan struggling

Disappointment was evident in Anita Hutasoit's face. It was already 4 p.m. but none of her plants had sold.

Then, just as she was about to pack up for the day, a sedan traveling from Brastagi, Karo regency to Medan, stopped right in front of her kiosk in Sibolangit district, Deli Serdang regency.

A couple got out from the car and headed straight to her kiosk. After looking around, they bought 20 small potted cacti.

Intan, the 29-year-old customer, said she bought the cacti for her own collection. "I like all kinds of flowers but for me, cacti are unique due to their thorns and the variety of shapes they come in," said the woman who was accompanied by her husband, Herman, a Medan resident.

For Anita (right), the couple's arrival was a blessing.

The woman said her flower business had been sluggish for the past three months. Many other flower traders, including those in Deli Serdang, Karo and Medan regencies, have also experienced a decline in their businesses.

She blamed the decline on many factors, including financial constraints due to the arrival of the new school year.

"Previously, at least 500 pot plants were sold in a single day, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays. But now, I'm lucky to sell 100," the woman told The Jakarta Post.

The cacti are priced at Rp 5,000 each.

The 36-year-old woman said she had recently put up the price of her cacti by Rp 1,000 per pot.

"I got these cacti from Bandung. The traders there raised the price by around Rp 1,000 each, so I only take Rp 1,000 profit from each plant I sell here," said the woman who has been in the business for 10 years.

Apart from cacti she also sells various kinds of flowers, such as euphorbias, roses and orchids, although they are more expensive than the cacti. (JP/Apriadi Gunawan)