In 2024, due to the impact of floods, peach and kumquat production in the northern provinces decreased significantly. This has made the supply of Tet ornamental flowers on the market more scarce, leading to an increase in the prices of flowers and ornamental plants.
Present at the kumquat garden of Mr. Tran Manh Ha's family (Thanh Dong village, Thanh Hung commune, Dien Bien district), the reporter witnessed with his own eyes the kumquat trees laden with fruit being meticulously cared for by the garden owner.
Mr. Ha said: “Last year, customers only spent more than 1 million VND to have a satisfactory kumquat tree, but this year, the price of kumquat has increased by 1.5 times. On average, a beautiful kumquat tree will cost from 1.5 to 2 million VND/tree, depending on the type.”
Mr. Ha explained that the reason for the increase in kumquat prices was because storm No. 3 (Yagi) damaged hundreds of hectares of peach and kumquat trees in the delta provinces, making the ornamental plant market during Tet not as abundant as every year.
Owning a garden with more than 300 kumquat trees, Mr. Ha's family is looking forward to this Tet season. Accordingly, up to now, nearly 20% of the trees have been ordered and there are still many customers surveying and negotiating. To ensure the quality of the fruit, Mr. Ha's family is focusing on taking care of the kumquat garden very carefully.
Meanwhile, the peach garden with more than 1,000 trees of Ms. Lo Thi Cuong's family (team 2, Thanh Hung commune, Dien Bien district) is also becoming a familiar destination for traders as well as local people every Tet holiday.
Ms. Cuong said: “My peach trees are growing well. However, to know the exact price, we have to wait more than a week. According to my prediction, the price of peach trees this year will increase slightly compared to last year. Depending on the shape and position of the tree, each peach tree has a selling price ranging from 200,000 VND to over 1 million VND.”
According to Ms. Cuong, compared to other peach growing areas, Dien Bien's weather last year was quite favorable for peach trees to grow. However, it is not impossible that peaches from the lowland provinces will still be transported to Dien Bien for sale. If they are transported, they will likely be more expensive than Dien Bien peaches due to additional transportation costs.
“My family mainly sells peach trees in the garden. However, from December 15, if there are any peach trees left, my family will bring them to the center of Dien Bien Phu City to sell. Because of our experience in taking care of them, every year my peach trees bloom right on Tet. Therefore, it will take more than a week for the peach trees to start blooming,” said Ms. Cuong.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Ha Ngoc Linh - owner of a peach and kumquat garden in Thanh Dong village, Thanh Luong commune, Dien Bien district - also said: "Taking care of peach and kumquat trees for Tet is a process that requires meticulousness and experience. The weather is different every year, so monitoring and regulating irrigation water is extremely important."
This year, Mr. Linh’s garden is expected to have about 100 peach trees blooming in time for Tet. The rental price for a peach tree ranges from 400,000 to 1 million VND, depending on the size and shape of the tree. Customers usually pay a deposit before December 23 and come to the garden to choose the tree they like.
