As the Lunar New Year, Tet, approaches , farmers in the Mekong Delta region are diligently preparing for the Tet flower crop in two major flower villages, Sa Dec in Dong Thap province and Cai Mon in Ben Tre province.
In Sa Dec, the largest flower village in Dong Thap province, approximately 1.5 million pots of various flowers are being cultivated for Tet, including over 270,000 chrysanthemum pots. Farmers are actively engaged in planting seeds, with the chrysanthemum being a preferred Tet flower, known for its ability to bloom for more than a month.
Vo Thanh Tung, a Sa Dec farmer, has expanded his chrysanthemum cultivation to 5,000 baskets, a 20% increase from the previous year. Each flower crop costs over 100 million VND (4,300 USD) on average, and traders are already purchasing chrysanthemum pots in advance for prices ranging from 80,000 VND to 90,000 VND (3.5 – 3.9 USD) per pot, representing an increase of 20,000 VND to 30,000 VND from the previous Tet, depending on quality.
Farmers are projected to earn a profit of 30,000 VND to 50,000 VND for each chrysanthemum pot. With advanced farming techniques, farmers in the region can now time the blooming of most flowers during Tet, ensuring good prices.
In Cho Lach district, Ben Tre province, the largest flower producer in the Mekong Delta, farmers are set to supply approximately 15 million pots of flowers and ornamental plants to the market for Tet, an increase of 2 million products compared to the previous year. The main flowers include raspberry chrysanthemum, hyacinth, marigold, yellow apricot, and kumquat.
Despite potential challenges like saltwater intrusion and rainy weather causing waterlogging, farmers are well-prepared, and the damage is expected to be insignificant. The high output of Tet flowers this year has prompted farmers to sign contracts with traders.
As the Tet theme for the upcoming year is the Year of the Dragon, Cho Lach district is creating many ornamental plants in the shape of dragons, along with various other shapes representing the 12-year zodiac cycle.
With favorable weather conditions, farmers in the Mekong Delta are optimistic about a successful Tet flower season and look forward to contributing to the vibrant celebrations during this festive time.
