Bustling harvest in peach gardens
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, the atmosphere in the peach blossom villages of Tien Hung commune, Hung Yen province becomes busier than ever. In the pink peach and white peach gardens in Dinh Phung, Hoang Duc, Lien Minh, Duy Tan villages, peach growers are busy planting trees, uprooting, loading them onto trucks to transport them to provinces and cities, in time to serve the Tet flower market.
From early morning, on the roads leading to the peach growing area of Tien Hung commune, the sound of trucks and three-wheeled vehicles continuously coming in and out. In the garden, each peach tree has been neatly shaped, tied tightly, waiting to be loaded onto the truck. This is the time when peach growers enter the busiest period of the year - the peach harvest season to serve Tet.
According to garden owners, peach blossoms in Tien Hung commune are quite diverse, in which Bich peach and phai peach account for a large proportion, serving many customer segments from indoor, garden to agency and business.
This year, the weather is not really favorable for peach trees. July rain is heavy and prolonged, affecting the growth and differentiation of flower buds. However, with decades of experience in growing peach trees, Tien Hung people have proactively applied appropriate technical measures, adjusting the time to peel leaves, circle roots, and dampen water so that trees flower on time.
Up to this point, most peach gardens have bloomed evenly, with firm buds, fresh colors, and are highly appreciated by traders. "Now there is no care left, mainly harvesting. Trees that meet the requirements are loaded onto trucks and driven immediately, if slow, you miss the market momentum" - Mr. Dinh Ba Tien in Lien Minh village shared.
The harvest atmosphere is urgent but orderly. Each garden usually mobilizes additional seasonal labor to meet the delivery schedule. The stages from digging roots, bunching, pruning branches to loading and unloading are carried out quickly and neatly, minimizing the impact on the shape and quality of the trees.
Peach blossoms sold out early, traders close gardens before Tet
Mr. Dinh Ba Tien's family is one of the long-term peach growers in Tien Hung commune, his family grows more than 1 mau of peaches with all kinds of pink peaches and pink peaches. Right from the beginning of December, all the peaches in the garden have been ordered by traders.
Now it's just about putting the trees on trucks to transport them away. It is expected that from now until the full moon of the first lunar month, the garden will be completely finished. This year selling early, the family is also less pressured. The quality of peach blossoms this year is good, so many traders come to buy, we are excited because by this time all the peach blossoms in the garden have been sold" - Mr. Tien said. And he added that traders closing purchases early helps growers be more proactive in harvesting, not worrying about garden inventory close to Tet.
Sharing the busy atmosphere, Mr. Luong Duc Quyet (in Duy Tan village) said that these days his family is almost non-stop. Traders' cars from many provinces and cities continuously come to pick up peaches, some days loading from early morning until late at night to finish.
This year, peach blossoms are flowering quite uniformly, the tree shape is beautiful, so consumption is favorable. Traders mainly take peach blossoms to transport to the northern provinces and some central provinces" - Mr. Quyet shared.
According to Mr. Dinh Ba Hoanh - Head of the Farmers' Association of Hoang Duc village, Tien Hung commune, peach growing has become the main livelihood of many households in the village. On average, each year, peach trees bring a stable income, much higher than growing rice or traditional crops.
Although the weather this year has disadvantages, thanks to experience and proactiveness, peach growers still maintain the quality of the trees. Up to this point, most gardens have had traders finalize purchases, and there is no sluggish situation" - Mr. Hoanh assessed.
Not only bringing income to peach growing households, the harvest season also creates seasonal jobs for many local workers, especially in the stages of planting trees, loading and unloading, and transportation. The bustling and hurried atmosphere lasted throughout the days leading up to Tet, signaling a warm and prosperous spring approaching the people of Tien Hung peach village.
