Mr. Hoang Huu Khiem, residing in Quarter 3 (Dong Giang Ward, Dong Ha City, Quang Tri Province), has been growing flowers for many years. Previously, Mr. Khiem and other households grew flowers in their backyards every season and brought them to the market to sell, but their income was unstable.
In 2010, when the Dong Ha City People's Committee established the An Lac flower growing cooperative, households joining the cooperative would receive support for land rental, electricity, road and water infrastructure. Finding it reasonable, Mr. Khiem joined, he is currently the group leader of the cooperative, and has become a professional flower grower.
On this occasion, Mr. Khiem planted 1,000 flower pots, mainly chrysanthemums to supply to Ms. Truong during Tet. This year, the weather is favorable so the chrysanthemums grow evenly and are about to bud.
“This year, my family grows more flowers than last year because we believe the market demand is higher. By using domestic labor, our family earns between 150 and 300 million VND each year, and after deducting expenses, we still have a profit,” said Mr. Khiem.
Also participating in the cooperative and having been involved in flower growing for 15 years, this season, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung, residing in Quarter 1 (Dong Giang Ward), has 10,000 flower pots, mostly chrysanthemums, in addition to primroses and primroses. To be in time for Tet, in addition to the workers in the house, Mr. Trung hired 4 more people to weed, fertilize, cut branches and shape the flowers.
Every year, on average, Mr. Trung's family earns about 700 million VND from selling flowers, with a profit of about more than 200 million VND.
“This profession is difficult to develop if you work alone. When you join a cooperative, the government supports you in many ways. Growing flowers together, pest control is coordinated and timely. In particular, selling the products is easier,” said Mr. Trung.
Currently, members of the An Lac flower growing association are focusing their manpower on taking care of Tet flowers. At night, the fields are brightly lit with electric lights to help the flowers bud in time.
As urbanization has grown, the flower village has created jobs for many local workers when there are no more fields. At the same time, many other industries have developed, such as: materials, fertilizers; paint; pot casting; transportation... In addition, income from the craft village has also contributed to changing the lives of many people for the better.
According to the Dong Ha City People's Committee, the An Lac flower growing cooperative has 20 families, cultivating an area of about 3 hectares. The members of the cooperative produce effectively, so the locality is planning to expand the specialized flower growing area to supply the market in and outside the province, while also creating a landscape for the city.
