HCM CITY — Flower growers are busy preparing for the upcoming Tết (Lunar New Year) which will begin on February 5.

In the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng, about 1,500ha of different types of flowers for Tết markets are being grown in Đà Lạt City.

Of the figure, more than 540 hectares of daisies are planted mostly in flower villages such as Thái Phiên in Ward 12, Hà Đông in Ward 8, and Xuân Thành and Xuân Thọ communes in the city.

The farmers have also begun to plant about 321 hectares of roses, 154 hectares of gladiolus flowers, 120 hectares of lisianthus, 75 hectares of lilies, 35 hectares of boat orchids and 260 hectares of other flowers

Hundreds of hectares of various flowers have been planted in the city’s Đức Trọng and Lạc Dương districts, including about 300ha of gladiolus in Hiệp An Flower Village in Đức Trọng District.

Many local farmers said the weather in recent months had been favourable for the development of flowers.

Earlier, many flower businesses imported tens of millions of high-quality seedlings to serve local farmers’ growing demand.

In the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Bến Tre, farmer growers in Chợ Lách District have produced more than 10 million products of flowers and ornamental trees to meet demand of Tết markets, making a year-on-year increase of 15 per cent.

Bùi Thanh Liêm, head of the district’s Agricultural and Rural Development Sub-department, said this year local farmers had mainly produced flowers according to the orders of traders.

About 6,000 households are growing more than 650 hectares of flowers and ornamental trees, mostly in Long Thới, Tân Thiềng, Hòa Nghĩa, Vĩnh Thành, Phú Sơn and Hưng Khánh Trung B communes.

There are many kinds of potted flowers, hanging flowers and ornamental plant pots such as yellow ochna flower, bougainvillea flower and bonsai citrus trees.

Nguyễn Thị Nga in Vĩnh Thành Commune said her family had produced more than 100,000 flowers and ornamental trees for Tết which were mostly ordered from traders before. “Only 30 per cent will sell at local markets.”

“We actively sell our products and do not depend on market demand like in previous years,” she said.

Establishments making pots used for flowers and ornamental trees are also busy meeting demand of flower growers as Tết draws near.

According to Võ Văn Hùng, owner of a production establishment in Vĩnh Long Province’s Tam Bình District, the peak production time usually falls between the ninth and 12th lunar months.

Each year, his family produces about 1,000 pots including different types of various sizes. Most of the products are sold to flower growers in the Mekong Delta region.

His establishment now has five workers with an average monthly salary of VNĐ4.5-5 million (US$193-215) per person, increasing of about 20 per cent on days near Tết.

Lê Bá Thành, owner of an establishment in Chợ Lách District’s Phú Phụng Commune in Bến Tre Province, said this year the demand of market for pots is increasing significantly, especially for pots of bonsai trees.

Hà Văn Kha, an owner of a flower shop in HCM City, said he preferred cement and clay pots made in Chợ Lách because they had good quality at reasonable prices.

He often orders pots around three months before Tết.

Depending on the size, the price of a cement pot is from VNĐ110,000 ($4.7), VNĐ130,000 ($5.6), or VNĐ440,000 ($18.9).

The demand is expected to rise 10 percent this year, while the price will rise by 7-10 percent of price compared to last year.

In Đồng Tháp Province, farmers in Sa Đéc City’s Sa Đéc Flower Village have planted more than three million flowers and ornamental trees.

The province’s centre for high-tech application in agricultural production has produced over 500,000 disease-free seedlings of various kinds of flowers.

More than 100ha of flowers and ornamental trees for Tết are being grown mostly in Tân Quy Đông Ward and Tân Khánh Đông Commune.

Flowers like chrysanthemums, daisies, marigolds and roses have been growing well.

Farmers in the village earn high incomes from selling flower seedlings to other local farmers and to neighbouring provinces.
Trần Văn Út Hùng, a flower farmer in Tân Khánh Đông Commune, said he had grown over 6,000 seedlings per orders from farmers from Đồng Tháp, An Giang, Tiền Giang, Vĩnh Long and Bến Tre provinces and Cần Thơ City.

After deducting costs, he earns a profit of VNĐ200 million (US$8,578) from sold seedlings.

Trần Thanh Toản in Tân Mỹ Village in the city’s Tân Quy Đông Ward said he had planted about 12,000 flowers.
In previous years, his flowers sold both to local markets and to central and northern provinces.

Plumeria (also known as frangipani) planted in Sa Đéc are exported abroad.

Hùng Thy Flower enterprise, a local company, now annually exports about 30,000 to 50,000 plumeria trees to Taiwan and Middle Eastern countries.

Ten farmers grew and sold plumeria trees to the company.

The flower company has created jobs for nearly 100 local people, who earn about VNĐ150,000-200,000 ($6.5-8.5) daily.

It also plans to export flower trees to other foreign markets such as Japan and South Korea. — VNS