As Tet approaches, many chrysanthemum gardeners in Phu Yen are worried about the late blooming of the flowers – Photo: MINH CHIEN
On January 18, Tuoi Tre Online went to Binh Kien flower village (Tuy Hoa city) and recorded the worries of chrysanthemum gardeners there.
Tet is near, but the chrysanthemums have not bloomed yet.
Although it is past December 15, about 2/3 of Mr. Nguyen Van Hue's family's 150-pot Tet chrysanthemum garden has just sprouted buds.
According to Mr. Hue, a pot of chrysanthemums, if they bloom in time for Tet, can be sold for 270,000 - 300,000 VND, but there are currently 100 pots in the garden that cannot be sold during Tet. If they are sold after Tet, they will be cut into bouquets, each flower branch costs 1,000 VND, meaning the whole pot is only estimated to be 30,000 - 40,000 VND.
“This year the weather is so unfavorable, selling at a loss of 100,000 VND/pot is already a big loss. I am using chemicals and using lights to stimulate the flowers to bloom in time for Tet but it is really difficult. So sad, every year at this time the flowers are loaded onto trucks for traders to take away,” Mr. Hue worriedly said.
People have to use flower stimulants, combined with lighting to make Tet chrysanthemums bloom early - Photo: MINH CHIEN
Mr. Dang Thanh Duc - a chrysanthemum grower in Tuy Hoa City - said that at the end of this year, due to the prolonged cold air, the weather was without sunshine for many days, so the chrysanthemums did not bloom in time for Tet.
“To have a beautiful pot of chrysanthemums, farmers spend 4 months growing them, but this year’s crop has had more than 2 months of rain and wind, and the weather has been constantly cloudy. The cost of this year’s chrysanthemum crop has increased by 20% compared to the previous crop, and now gardeners are sitting on hot coals because the plants are slow to flower,” said Mr. Duc.
Mr. Tran Van Tuyen - Vice President of Tuy Hoa City Farmers' Association - said: "Many gardeners have invested hundreds of millions of VND in growing flowers but have not yet made a profit. Apricot flowers can be nurtured and sold next year, but chrysanthemums cannot. People also predicted that this year's weather would be harsh due to the late start of spring, but they were still caught off guard. They are currently using many methods to stimulate chrysanthemums to bud and bloom early."
Chrysanthemum buds bloom slowly for Tet – Photo: MINH CHIEN
Kumquats are abundant in fruit but the price is "cheaper" than last Tet.
Besides chrysanthemums, kumquat trees have the second largest output in Phu Yen. Although the weather this year has been cold for a long time, thanks to the care and investment of farmers, most kumquat gardens have produced beautiful, lush fruits. Currently, people growing kumquat trees for Tet in the province have started selling them to the market.
Mr. Pham Hoe - a kumquat grower in Tuy Hoa City - both takes care of the garden and hangs a sign selling kumquats for traders to come and buy wholesale.
“This year, kumquat prices are also selling more slowly than last year. Last year, kumquat pots were sold for more than 300,000 VND, but this year, beautiful kumquat pots are selling for about 250,000 VND. Traders from Binh Duong, Dak Lak... also came down to buy, but the quantity is not as much as last year. I have 300 kumquat pots in my garden, so whoever makes a deposit, I sell immediately, instead of waiting for the price to increase to avoid having too much inventory,” said Mr. Hoe.
Although the price of kumquat this year is lower than last year, it still gives growers a good income - Photo: MINH CHIEN
According to Mr. Tran Van Tuyen, the province currently has more than 400 farmers growing flowers to sell during the Lunar New Year in 2025 with a total area of about 120 hectares.
Of these, there are more than 30,000 pots of chrysanthemums, 14,000 pots of kumquats, 13,000 pots of apricots and about 10,000 pots of other plants and flowers. Due to the prolonged rain in November and December, the rate of flowers blooming on Tet is low. Currently, flower growers are actively taking care of the plants and flowers so that they grow well and attract buyers.
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