Peach blossom gardens in Nghe An are bustling with customers placing deposits before Tet.

Although there is still nearly a month until the Lunar New Year, the market for ornamental peach blossoms in Nghe An is already bustling as many traders and customers come directly to the gardens to select and place deposits.

Ornamental peach trees are in high demand.

In the early days of the twelfth lunar month, the buying and selling atmosphere has begun to liven up in many key peach-growing areas of Nghe An province . From traditional peach-growing regions in Yen Thanh and Nam Dan (formerly), groups of customers, mostly traders, continuously visit the orchards to inspect the trees, inquire about prices, and place orders in advance, making the atmosphere more bustling than usual.

Customers come to select and place deposits at the peach blossom village in Quang Dong commune. Photo: Xuan Hoang.

In Dong Ban hamlet, Quang Dong commune, Mr. Chu Van Huan's family is tending to nearly 500 ornamental peach trees, mostly mature trees meticulously shaped. Mr. Huan said that since the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, many traders in the province have come to his garden to select and place deposits. By this time, about 50% of the peach trees have already been sold.

"Early buyers are mostly acquaintances or long-time traders. They want to choose beautiful trees with pleasing shapes and proactively plan their transportation," Mr. Huan shared.

In Quang Dong commune, the market for Tet peach blossoms was bustling in early December. Photo: Xuan Hoang

According to Mr. Huan, ornamental peach trees typically take over two years to grow and are meticulously cared for, from shaping and fertilizing to regulating flowering time, making them more valuable than shorter-growing peach trees. This year, the price of ornamental peach trees at the garden ranges from 1.5 to 6 million VND per tree, depending on shape and size. This price is slightly higher than last year, but still in line with the general market, giving both growers and buyers peace of mind.

Not far away, the peach orchard of Mr. Chu Van Thai's family, with over 200 ornamental peach trees, also attracted great interest from customers. Mr. Thai said that at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, his family sold a beautiful, old peach tree for 18 million VND - the highest price since he started growing peach trees more than 10 years ago.

A bonsai peach tree belonging to Mr. Chu Van Thai's family has been reserved by a customer for 18 million VND. Photo: Xuan Hoang

"The most beautiful peach blossom trees are usually reserved by customers very early. Many of the remaining trees in the garden have also been reserved with deposits, waiting for the delivery date," Mr. Thai said.

According to peach growers in Quang Dong, in the past, they mainly cultivated the local pink peach variety. In recent years, thanks to accumulated experience and the application of grafting techniques, many households have switched to grafting double-flowered pink peaches – a variety with many petals, beautiful colors, and a long blooming period. This is also the reason why ornamental and grafted peaches are increasingly popular in the market.

After customers pay a deposit, the garden owners proceed to dig up the roots, waiting for the day of transportation. Photo: Xuan Hoang

According to Mr. Phan Van Duong, Deputy Director of the Public Service Center of Quang Dong commune, the locality currently has about 70 hectares of peach orchards with nearly 400 households participating in production and business. The majority of the area is focused on ornamental peach trees, bringing high economic value and a stable income to the people. Each year, peach cultivation brings in billions of dong for the locality, contributing to increased income, creating seasonal jobs, and preserving a traditional craft.

Many peach blossom villages welcome visitors from early in the morning.

Not only Quang Dong commune, but also Minh Thanh commune, a famous peach blossom growing area, has recorded positive signals from the market. According to Mr. Ma Xuan Uyen, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Du commune, the entire commune currently has about 35 hectares of peach trees grown commercially. Since the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, many traders have directly visited the peach orchards to inspect, select, and place deposits for advance purchases. "Early purchases help peach growers feel more secure and reduce the pressure of rush sales in the days leading up to Tet," Mr. Uyen said.

The double-flowered peach blossom variety is widely grown in peach-growing villages throughout the province. Photo: Xuan Hoang

In the former Nam Dan district, Dai Hue commune was considered the "capital" of peach blossom cultivation for Tet (Lunar New Year) in the region, with approximately 50,000 peach trees, concentrated mainly in hamlets 5, 6, 7, 8, and Xuan Hong. These days, the roads leading to the peach blossom villages are always bustling with people.

Mr. Nguyen Tat Duong, a long-time peach tree grower in Hamlet 8, said that although some trees were broken or uprooted by the storm this year, the post-storm weather has been quite favorable, resulting in good growth, evenly distributed buds, and a high chance of blooming right on Tet (Lunar New Year). "Customers came to the garden to see the peach blossoms early, and many placed orders in advance, so the farmers are somewhat reassured," Mr. Duong said.

The peach blossom village in Dai Hue commune is also attracting visitors and buyers early in the season. Photo: Quang An

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tinh, head of Hamlet 8, out of 265 households in the hamlet, 200 households grow peach blossom trees for Tet (Lunar New Year), forming a large-scale concentrated peach blossom growing area. Of these, about 20 households grow over 100 trees; exceptionally, some households own from 200 to 500 trees. This year, the selling price of peach blossom trees at the garden is quite stable, ranging from 500,000 to 1 million VND for common trees; large, beautifully shaped, and old trees are priced from 2 to 5 million VND, or even higher for unique trees.

According to traders, this year, due to the leap month and the prolonged warm, sunny weather at the end of the year, some peach blossom areas are at risk of blooming early. Therefore, finding and purchasing well-cared-for peach trees early, which can regulate their blooming to coincide with Tet (Lunar New Year), has become more important. This is also why many customers are willing to place deposits early to "reserve" beautiful trees.

The profession of growing peach blossoms for Tet (Lunar New Year) in localities throughout Nghe An province brings a significant source of income to people at the end of the year. Photo: Xuan Hoang

The early start of the Tet peach blossom market is seen as a positive sign, not only helping peach growers proactively manage production but also creating price stability. In the context of rising material and labor costs, favorable sales right from the beginning of the season will contribute to the sustainable commitment of people to peach blossom cultivation, preserving the beauty of traditional culture every spring.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/dao-vuon-nghe-an-ron-rang-khach-dat-coc-truoc-tet-10321052.html