On Nguyen Huu Tho street, Dien Bien Phu city, thousands of wild peach branches are being sold by small traders.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien - a trader with over 10 years of experience in peach trading - said that if last year, the Tet peach market was bustling and vibrant from the first days of December, this year, the atmosphere is somewhat quieter.
“Although the transaction is not really active, the price of peach branches this year will certainly be more expensive than last year because peaches are becoming increasingly rare. Peach branches collected from hill gardens in highland villages, which used to cost only 200,000 - 300,000 VND, are now priced at up to 500,000 VND, even double the price of last year,” said Mr. Kien.
Mr. Kien said that the gap between the purchase price from the highlanders and the selling price is narrowing. This makes the peach branch trading business less attractive for small traders. “This year, because Tet comes early, peach blossoms are expected to bloom late. However, sophisticated customers usually buy before the 21st of the 12th lunar month, while ordinary customers buy around the 25th of Tet,” Mr. Kien informed.
According to a survey by PV, the price of peach branches bought from highland villages and sold in the city currently ranges from 400,000 VND to 2 million VND, depending on the shape and position. Most of the wild peach trees sold in Dien Bien Phu City are purchased from the highland district of Dien Bien Dong.
According to traders, storm No. 3 has caused damage to peach and kumquat gardens in the Northern Delta. Therefore, the Tet flower market in Dien Bien this year will lack peach blossoms and kumquat pots from the lowlands, if any.
Trader Lo Van Khoan - Hua Thanh commune, Dien Bien district - said that the peach business has only started a few days ago. To attract customers, he displayed beautiful peach branches and offered preferential prices. However, the number of customers is still quite modest, selling an average of only about 3 branches per day.
Mr. Khoan said that the price of wild peaches this year is higher than previous years partly due to the dry weather as there was no rain in December. People in the highland villages are looking for peaches in large numbers, but the quantity is small so it cannot meet the demand.
“Last year, I made a profit of 30 million VND from selling peach blossoms, but this year, the business situation does not seem to be as good. The price of buying from hill gardens in the highland villages has increased, before it cost 200,000 VND, now it costs 400,000 VND. If I sell expensively, customers will not buy, if I sell cheaply, I will not get paid,” Mr. Khoan said.
