Want to have Tet atmosphere, have to… think ahead
Worried that peach blossoms would be scarce this year due to the impact of storm No. 3, Ms. Phuong Thuy Thanh (Cau Giay, Hanoi) decided to go to Quang An flower market to find peach blossoms to bring home for Tet early.
“Every year, I usually wait until the 29th or 30th of Tet to buy peach blossoms to celebrate Tet. Because at that time, peach blossoms are sold in abundance and at cheap prices all over the streets. These years, I buy much earlier because I am afraid of running out of stock, even though I know that the price will definitely be higher than last year," said Ms. Thanh.
According to Lao Dong reporters at Quang An flower market (Tay Ho, Hanoi), the peach branches for sale are mainly taken from Nhat Tan peach garden. In addition, some peach varieties from Lang Son and Sa Pa are also imported to give consumers a variety of choices.
In addition to peach trees, traders also sell many other types such as plum, pear and magnolia branches from the Northwest to give customers more choices in case the market lacks peach trees. The selling price for these trees is not much different from peach trees. Large branches range from 500,000 to 1,500,000 VND depending on the age and shape of the tree, while bundles of 5-6 small branches cost about 200,000 VND.
Price increase due to scarcity due to the impact of storm number 3
Talking to Lao Dong, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung - a long-time peach trader (Tay Ho, Hanoi) said that this year the peach market is somewhat quieter because many peach gardens were severely affected by the impact of storm No. 3 - Yagi.
“The storm last September was so big that it flooded and ruined almost all the peach trees. Some peach trees were saved but could not be sold, so we had to keep them until next year. It was rare to find 4-5 trees that were still intact, but they bloomed early, so I had to cut them and sell them to customers who wanted to put them on the altar. Since the beginning of the month, flower lovers have come to buy them, but the quantity is limited and there are few beautiful shapes, so many people did not buy them,” Nhung shared.
Regarding prices, Ms. Nhung predicts that this year's peach prices will increase slightly by 200,000 - 300,000 VND for each large branch. At the same time, it will be "opposite" to previous years, when a few weeks before Tet, peach shapes and sizes are diverse and cheap, but close to Tet, they will be very expensive.
"Currently, gardeners are taking care of the plants to nurture buds, and will bring them out for sale 1-2 weeks later," said Ms. Nhung.
The fear of a "peach shortage" has caused the Tet flower market to start earlier than usual. Although prices are slightly higher, many people still accept "buying early to be sure", because the Tet atmosphere would not be complete without the familiar image of the peach tree.
