Farmers tend marigold flowers meant for sale during Tết in An Khương flower and ornamental plant growing village in Châu Thành District in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kiên Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Sĩ

MEKONG DELTA — Farmers in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta are busy tending vegetables, fruits and flowers they hope to supply during Tết (Lunar New Year), which falls on February 10.

In Tiền Giang Province, they have planted 23,700ha of vegetables and watermelon and the weather is favourable for their cultivation, according to the local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

They are expected to harvest more than 578,000 tonnes of vegetables and supply markets in the province and elsewhere for Tết.

Phạm Văn Vũ, who is growing watermelon on his 3,000sq.m field in Gò Công Đông District’s Tân Thành Commune, said with the favourable weather and lots of water, local farmers hope to have a bumper harvest of the fruit.

The commune’s Đèn Đỏ watermelon is preferred nationally for its deliciousness.

Farmers in the delta are diversifying their crops to avoid oversupply.

In Hậu Giang Province, Hồ Ngọc Bình, director of the Long Trị A Commune Safe Agricultural Produce Co-operative in Long Mỹ Town, said members used to grow only vegetables to sell during Tết, but all have switched to growing both vegetables and watermelon this time.

Demand for vegetables is down this year, he said.

Besides traditional methods, many farmers in the delta also use net houses and greenhouses to grow clean vegetables to meet market requirements.

They are increasingly growing fruits, particularly speciality ones such as dragon fruit, pineapple, mango, sour sop, and grapefruit, as they are in highly demand during Tết, and fetch 10-30 per cent higher prices than normal.

Đinh Văn Tảo of Tiền Giang Province’s Chợ Gạo District said he is using electric lamps to light his dragon fruit orchard at night to ensure it fruits before Tết.

His plants are growing well and not affected by disease and have plenty of water for irrigation, he said.

Farmers in the delta use high-quality farming methods to grow fruits, including Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP) standards.

Tiến Nông is the first co-operative to grow green skin and pink flesh pomelos in Hậu Giang Province’s Long Mỹ District and its members have 21ha planted to VietGAP standards.

Trần Văn Tôn, its director, said they expect to harvest 40-50 tonnes of the fruit this Tết, with the peak harvest time being five days before the New Year.

The fruit fetched high prices last Tết but that is still up in the air this year, he said.

The delta’s 12 provinces and Cần Thơ City are growing a variety of flowers and ornamental plants to sell for Tết.

In Đồng Tháp, one of its largest flower growing provinces, farmers have more than 1.2 million pots of flowers.

Tiền Giang Province has more than 1.5 million, and Trà Vinh Province, 410,000.

This year, farmers have mostly planted flower varieties that are in high demand and not too high-priced, according to local agriculture and rural development departments.

They include chrysanthemum, marigold, paperflower, cockscomb, yellow ochna, and kumquat. VNS