Farmers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are getting high prices for flowers and ornamental plants since they reduced production for Tet (Lunar New Year) because of the COVID – 19 pandemic while demand is high.
They have almost finished the harvest and are selling to traders with the festival just a few days away. This year the Lunar New Year falls on February 1.
In Ben Tre Province’s Cho Lach District, one of the delta’s largest producers of flowers and ornamental plants, many farmers have fully sold out.
Tran Huu Hiep in the district’s Hung Khanh Trung B Commune said he sold 10,000 yellow ochna trees, half to traders from the north.
The flower is the symbol of Tet in the south, with families decorating their houses with the tree during the festival.
If farmers decide to sell their yellow ochna trees, they pick all the leaves around 15 days before Tet so that a tree only has buds and flowers for Tet.
The weather was favourable this year but yet most farmers reduced output because they feared the pandemic could impact demand.
The district grew only six million pots of flowers and ornamental plants this year, down two million from last Tet, according to the district Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Farmers have grown chrysanthemum, marigold, cockcomb, rose, kumquat, and other flowers.
Tran Huu Nghi, deputy head of the bureau, said most farmers grow based on orders they get from traders before Tet.
The prices of flowers and ornamental plants have increased by 20 – 30 per cent this year, he said.
Besides the cut in supply, high input costs are also a major reason for the price increase, according to local authorities.
Sa Dec City in Dong Thap Province, a major flower producer, cut output by more than 40 per cent.
Farmers in the delta are also welcoming tourists to their gardens and fruit orchards and selling products directly to them.
In Dong Thap Province’s Lai Vung District, pink mandarin orchards are busy receiving visitors since they look beautiful with ripe fruits just before Tet.
The district has more than 300ha under the fruit, Dong Thap’s speciality and in high demand during Tet for both its appearance and taste.
Speciality products
Farmers in the delta are also getting high prices for other speciality fruits and items such as grapefruit, watermelon, dried fish, dried shrimp, and shrimp crackers, whose production too they have reduced this year.
Le Minh Sang, owner of a dried shrimp producing establishment in Ca Mau Province’s Dam Doi District, said he is operating at full capacity to meet Tet demand.
The supply of fresh shrimp is down but he has not increased prices, he said.
“My establishment has produced more than five tonnes of dried shrimp for Tet so far.”
His dried shrimp, recognised as a three - star OCOP product under the national one commune - one product programme, fetches VND1.5 – 1.8 million (US$66 - 79) per kilogramme.
In Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, and Hau Giang provinces, traders are buying green skin and pink flesh grapefruits at VND26,000 – 30,000 ($1.1 -1.3) per kilogramme, VND5,000 – 10,000 higher than a few days ago.
Many fruit co-operatives in Vinh Long Province said they have reduced output of speciality fruits such as mango, mandarin and others by 60 – 70 per cent this year.
In Hau Giang, farmers are expected to harvest 2,480ha of fruits and 2,000ha of vegetables for the Lunar New Year, down 5 per cent and 22 per cent, according to the province Plant Protection and Cultivation Sub-department.
Farmers in Hau Giang’s Chau Thanh District have sold out more than 2,000 uniquely shaped fruits such as grapefruit shaped like wine gourds, coconuts with calligraphy on their shell and other fruits with calligraphy and other images on their peel.
Mangoes with calligraphy and images of tigers to mark the Year of the Tiger are sold at high prices of VND200,000 – 500,000 ($8.8 - 22) for two. – VNS