In an interview with the Australian media network, retail support manager for the markets, Sue Dodd, said anything red has been selling well over the past week and demand for red flowers has increased noticeably. "Red flowers are very popular for decorating a home or using as an offering. We've also got Valentine's Day and the Chinese New Year all in the same week this year, which means we've got big demand for red flowers.

She added, "From a grower's perspective it's about getting that timing right to make sure that crop comes in on time and take advantage of that strong demand, so hopefully our flower growers will make some extra money this week because they do work very hard."

Dodd said tropical fruit, such as lychees, longans, dragon fruit and mangoes, were selling very well.

She told ABC Rural that it had been a busy week of festivities leading up to the Lunar New Year and that was set to continue throughout the week. "We've got the dragon joining us here on Wednesday for a very early start and weave its way through the wholesale markets. There'll be plenty of drumming and some of the store-holders will hang a lettuce outside of their business and the dragon will climb up and eat that lettuce, and that's all about prosperity and good luck. It's lots of fun, it's very noisy and there's lots of colour and movement."

Sydney Produce Market is the largest fresh fruit and vegetable wholesale market in Australia and one of the largest in the world.