KUALA LUMPUR – Flower businesses have been given approval to resume operations after being barred from doing so during the lockdown as they were not classified as an essential service.
Manivelan Ganapathy, a florist in Penang who spoke to The Vibes previously, said his business has now been granted permission to operate.
“We now have to get permission from the Agriculture Department to keep our business open. The process was not long, it took me more or less 10 minutes to get approval from the authorities,” he said.
Many businesses in the flower industry that were previously closed are now obtaining authorisation to resume operations.
The Vibes had reported that flower farmers and retail florists were sliding deeper into losses due to their prohibition during the movement control order.
Although the agricultural sector has been given permission to operate during the Covid-19 lockdown, floriculturists were barred from operating as they were not classified as an essential service.
The Vibes had also reported that Cameron Highlands, the country’s leading flower-producing area, is seeing growers experiencing tough times, with thousands of fresh blooms at risk of being dumped.
The prohibition on the physical sale of flowers, due to florists having to close, has led to farmers exploring online options to sell their stock.
Manivelan had earlier confirmed that supplies had been cut off, and the authorities had ordered him and others in the trade to suspend operations.
“Police came on the first day of the lockdown and told us to close our shops as we are deemed a non-essential business.” – The Vibes, June 14, 2021
