The family of Mr. Vu Quoc Huy in Nhan Nghia village, Son Loi commune, Binh Xuyen district is one of the households that have earned a decent income thanks to developing a model of lotus cultivation combined with fish farming.
Leading us on a tour of his lotus pond, spanning over 3,000 square meters and currently in harvest season, Mr. Huy shared: “Previously, this entire area was low-lying land where only one rice crop could be grown, making cultivation difficult and resulting in low economic efficiency. After several failed rice harvests, I researched and converted the entire area into a fish pond, offering recreational fishing services. Seeing that people earned more from growing lotus than from rice, I continued to explore, learn techniques, and improve the pond to grow lotus in combination with fish farming.”
Starting in February 2023, my family began experimenting with lotus cultivation, investing over 20 million VND, including pond renovation, seed purchase, and fertilizer. Unlike traditional pink lotus growers, I chose to intercrop various lotus varieties such as the Guanyin lotus, the blue cloud lotus, the New Lanceolate red lotus, and the Super Lotus…
After nearly five months of care, the lotus plants began to yield their first harvest. Seeing that the lotus plants grew well, the flowers were large and beautiful, the yield was high, and they were very popular with traders and locals, I decided to expand the lotus cultivation area to its current size.”
According to Mr. Huy, lotus is an easy-to-grow and easy-to-care-for plant, with few pests and diseases, a low mortality rate, and only requires an initial investment for planting. Lotus plants can be harvested continuously for about 4 months per season. Furthermore, the market for lotus flowers is very competitive; traders from all over the province and beyond often come to buy them directly, leading to shortages at times.
The price of exotic lotus flowers is slightly higher than traditional lotus flowers, with wholesale prices at 4,000 VND per flower and retail prices at 5,000 VND per flower. However, the number sold is limited to around 300 flowers per day because most have already been pre-ordered.
Furthermore, recognizing social demand, Huy not only sells lotus products but also takes advantage of the unique beauty of the lotus varieties in the pond to offer photography services during the lotus blooming season.
He invested nearly 20 million VND to build additional landscaping, pathways in the pond, and provide accessories and clothing to serve tourists who come to visit and take photos. The entrance fee is 30,000 VND per person (regardless of age), and clothing rentals range from 50,000 to 80,000 VND per set.
From the end of May until now, on average, the lotus pond receives several dozen visitors daily who come to admire the flowers and take photos. On weekends, the number of visitors usually doubles or triples, bringing in a significant amount of revenue. On average, each lotus harvest brings Huy's family an income of 50-60 million VND per year.
Along with developing the economy through the model of growing lotus on low-lying land, the lotus pond of Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong's family in Phu Trung C village, Thuong Trung commune, is also in full bloom. It is known that from an initial experimental planting of one acre 10 years ago, the family's lotus cultivation area has now increased to more than 7 acres, equivalent to over 2.5 hectares.
With the traditional pink lotus variety, Ms. Phuong's family not only sells lotus flowers and seed pods, but also processed lotus seeds (for making lotus tea or soaking in alcohol), lotus wine, and lotus tea. The price of lotus flowers at the pond is 3,000 VND/flower, lotus seeds 80,000 VND/kg; dried seeds sell for 150,000 VND/kg; and seed pods sell for 3,000 - 5,000 VND/pod.
Furthermore, during the lotus blooming season, her family also brews lotus tea to sell to people who need it. It is estimated that the average annual profit from selling products directly derived from lotus brings Ms. Phuong's family around 200 million VND.
Present at Ms. Phuong's lotus pond from early morning, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy - a trader from Son Tay ( Hanoi ) - was busy loading bundles of fresh, fragrant lotus flowers onto her motorbike. Ms. Thuy shared: "Around the end of May, I contact and visit lotus pond owners to place early orders for lotus flowers because lotus flowers are highly sought after and anticipated by many people."
The lotus season usually runs from May to August. Although early-season lotuses are more expensive, they sell out as soon as they arrive. With prices ranging from 40,000 VND per 10 flowers for traditional pink lotuses to 60,000-75,000 VND per 10 flowers for exotic varieties, I typically import around 20-30 bunches of lotuses in the early days of the season, so I can make a profit of 500,000 VND a day."
Another lotus season has arrived, with lotus blossoms blooming, straight and graceful, bobbing on the water's surface, playing with the sunlight from above, making the lotus flowers even more vibrant. This scene of blooming lotus flowers not only beautifies the low-lying rice paddies but also brings a considerable income to farmers who boldly switch to lotus cultivation in these low-lying areas.
Thao My
Source: http://baovinhphuc.com.vn/Multimedia/Images/Id/129310/Hot-bac-tu-trong-sen-tren-dat-trung
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