Flower growth for Tết brings farmers higher income

HÀ NỘI — Growing flowers and ornamental trees for Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays in many provinces is expected to bring in high profits for farmers.

A garden growing peach trees in northern Hải Dương Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Nga

In northern Hải Dương Province, many farmers are preparing peach trees for Tết with most of them already ordered in advanced by traders.

Some farmers said the price of peach trees this year is expected to increase by between 20-30 per cent compared to last year.

Nguyễn Thị Noãn, a farmer in Thạch Khôi Commune, said she has grown 500 peach trees this year. Many traders have visited her garden to buy them.

Her family has planted peach trees for seven years and the business has brought in an average income of VNĐ200 million (US$8,600) during Tết.

However, she said, the job was very hard and the price depends on each kind of trees with some taking several years to grow.

Nguyễn Văn Chiến, a peach tree grower in Gia Tân Commune, said he has grown 280 peach trees with each one expected to sell for VNĐ600,000 ($26).

“I had already plucked leaves for peach trees from the eleventh lunar month to ensure that the trees would bloom during Tết,” he said.

There are 300 households in Gia Tân Commune growing peach trees over 23ha. Unusual climates this year has made it harder for local farmers to take care of the trees, particularly making sure they bloomed at the right time.

Peach trees grown in the province have become attractive to traders from many localities like Thái Bình, Quảng Ninh, Hải Phòng and HCM City.

Nguyễn Trường Giang, vice chairman of Gia Tân Commune’s People’s Committee, said growing peach trees brought in higher income for farmers in comparison with other crops.

There are peach trees of two years old that could be sold at the price of VNĐ800,000 ($35) per tree, according to Giang.

Local authorities have encouraged farmers to move from ineffective growth of rice and other crops on poor land  to planting peach trees. The commune is expected to expand the growing area 30ha this year, he said.

Deputy head of Hải Dương Province’s Economic Office, Đỗ Thị Thu, said peach trees are grown in many communes, including Tân Hưng, Thạch Khôi, Hải Tân, Liên Hồng and Gia Xuyên with a total area of more than 214ha.

Apart from trade promotional activities to introduce local peach trees to consumers nationwide, local authorities have actively organised training classes on growing techniques for local farmers, she said.

Flower gardens in southern Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province have also been busy with traders from other localities coming to buy flowers.

Mai Hùng Sơn, a flower grower in Bà Rịa City, said he grows 20,000 flower pots of many kinds this year, up 5,000 pots in comparison with last year. Popular flowers are daisies, lilies, sunflowers and cock's comb.

The province has more than 120ha growing flowers for Tết, according to official data from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Flowers are mainly sold to traders from other localities such as HCM City, Đồng Nai, Bình Dương, Đà Nẵng and Hà Nội.

Flower growing has helped many local farmers to escape poverty, according to the department.

Traditionally, Vietnamese often buy many types of flowers and plants to decorate their house in this special period.

The three main plants during the Tết holidays are peach blossoms, apricot (ochna itegerrima) blossoms and kumquat.

Peach blossoms and kumquat trees are common in the north while southern people prefer apricot blossoms for Tết.