Traders flock to the village
At the kumquat garden in Chan Dong village, Hoan Long commune (Hung Yen province), the atmosphere in the days leading up to Tet is much more bustling. From early morning to late afternoon, people always prune branches, prune fruits, and adjust shapes so that ornamental kumquat trees reach the highest level of completeness before reaching customers. Radiant smiles are evident on the faces of farmers who have been attached to the kumquat growing profession for many years.
Mr. Do Van Phien, a long-time kumquat grower in Chan Dong village, said that this year the weather is quite favorable. "The weather is dry, so kumquat trees grow well, have few pests and diseases, and have even and shiny fruits. Up to this point, my family has sold about 650 trees, currently there are about 50 trees in the garden" - Mr. Phien shared.
According to him, thanks to favorable weather, the care work is reduced, and the quality of kumquats is more uniform than in previous years.
Not far away, Mr. Ngo Van Thuc's kumquat garden is also bustling with people coming and going. Mr. Thuc said that customers coming to buy kumquats this year are not only from the region but also from many distant provinces and cities.
Customers from the Central region such as Quang Ngai, and even Son La also come here to choose kumquats. The selling price ranges from about 500-600 thousand VND per tree, depending on the shape and beauty" - Mr. Thuc said. This crop, his family planted about 800 trees, and has now consumed most of them, leaving about 200 trees waiting for customers in the days leading up to Tet.
Not only selling at the garden, many households also proactively welcome and advise customers from afar to choose trees suitable for the display space. The openness and friendliness of kumquat growers in Hoan Long commune is also a plus point, causing many traders and kumquat enthusiasts to return to the craft village year after year.
People's hopes
According to records, the buying and selling atmosphere in Hoan Long these days has become even more vibrant as many groups of tourists from provinces come to the place to see and choose kumquats. Mr. Mai Kim Xuan and his wife and Mrs. Hoang Thi Huong, guests from Thanh Hoa, said that every year their families spend time going to the North to choose kumquats for Tet.
We went to Hanoi and then Hung Yen to see and buy kumquats. This year, we plan to take about 50-60 kumquat trees, we have to hire a car to transport them back. The price here is soft, but the kumquats are beautiful, the trees are even" - Ms. Huong shared.
According to Mr. Xuan, what makes his family believe in choosing Hoan Long kumquats for many years is the prestige of a long-standing kumquat growing village. "This is a craft village, growers have experience, kumquat trees are carefully cared for. I'm used to buying them, I come back every year" - he added.
Not only bringing a bustling Tet atmosphere, kumquat growing is also the main source of income for local people. Mr. Tran Duy Bay - Head of Chan Dong village, said that currently about 70% of households in the village participate in growing kumquats.
This is a traditional profession, bringing stable income to people. On average, each Tet season, people can make a profit of about 35 - 50 million VND" - Mr. Bay informed.
According to Mr. Bay, thanks to kumquat trees, the lives of people in Chan Dong village in particular and Hoan Long commune in general are increasingly improved. Many families invest in expanding the area, learning more techniques of shaping and caring to improve product value.
In addition, customers from many localities coming to the garden also contribute to promoting the Hoan Long kumquat brand, helping the craft village stand firm in the face of market competition.
As the Tet days are approaching very closely, in the Hoan Long kumquat field, the colors of spring seem to have appeared. Kumquat pots full of fruit are not only commodity products, but also crystallize the sweat, effort and hope of farmers for a new year full and prosperous.
