In the days leading up to Lunar New Year, the streets in Dien Bien Phu City, Dien Bien are usually bright with peach blossoms. However, this year, the peach blossom market is somewhat quieter as thousands of wild peach branches have been cut down for sale but show no signs of blooming.
According to the Lao Dong Newspaper, along the roads in Dien Bien Phu City such as Vo Nguyen Giap, Hoang Van Thai, Nguyen Huu Tho, etc., thousands of wild peach branches were transported by traders from the highland districts to sell. However, many peach branches have not yet bloomed, and some branches and leaves have even begun to wither.
Mr. Lau A Giang - Phi Nhu commune, Dien Bien Dong district - a long-time peach seller - said: "This year, wild peach blossoms bloom very late, even though it is already December 25 while this month only has 29 days. I imported more than a hundred branches, and until now there are still many branches that have not bloomed."
According to Mr. Giang, this year the weather is quite erratic, causing the wild peach blossoms to bloom later than usual. Many customers who come to buy are worried that the flowers will not bloom in time for Tet. “If the peach blossoms are not damaged and bloom in time, there will not be enough to sell. However, with many branches not blooming yet, it has made consumption difficult, each day only selling 3-5 branches,” Mr. Giang said.
This trader also said that the price of wild peach blossoms depends on the ability to bloom at the right time. A branch that is in bud last year sold for 800,000 VND, but now the price can be up to 1.5 million VND. However, a branch that has not bloomed or is not blooming well, the price is only about 400,000 VND.
Traders explained that the reason for the late blooming of wild peach trees is due to the cold spell that has lasted since the beginning of January, along with the lack of rain for many months. This affects the growth and development of the trees, causing the flowers to bloom slowly or not at all.
Sharing the same concern about hundreds of peach branches not blooming in time, Ms. Quang Thi Dien - Muong Phang commune, Dien Bien Phu city is also facing the situation of hundreds of wild peach branches that could become firewood on the 29th of Tet.
“I have over 100 peach branches that have not yet bloomed. The few branches that have flowers have been sold, but the ones that have not bloomed in time are not being bought. On average, I only sell 5 branches a day, even though Tet is only a few days away,” said Ms. Dien.
With wild peach trees not blooming in time for Tet, many people have switched to buying peach trees grown in gardens, because these peach trees are cared for in a controlled process, have beautiful shapes, and large flowers. Many people also rent ornamental peach trees to play Tet with prices ranging from 400,000 VND to 1 million VND depending on the size and shape of the tree.
