Ensuring Ho Chi Minh City doesn't run out of vegetables for Tet (Lunar New Year).

The agricultural region of Da Lat is busy restoring production after the floods, prioritizing essential, short-term vegetables and establishing production linkages to maintain a stable supply for the Tet holiday.

Farmers in Da Lat's agricultural region are improving their land to grow short-term crops so they can bring them to market sooner - Photo: MV

In early December 2025, when many rice fields in Don Duong, Da Lat, and Lac Duong still bore the marks of mud after the floods, the most frequently discussed topic between farmers and businesses was how to ensure a sufficient supply of vegetables for Ho Chi Minh City and other major cities during the Lunar New Year.

Farmers are racing against time.

While farmers are racing to restore agricultural production areas in time for the Lunar New Year, the prices of many agricultural products in Da Lat have increased. Da Lat is a key supplier to Ho Chi Minh City, so price fluctuations in the production area quickly impact wholesale and retail markets in the city.

In Don Duong, the "vegetable hub" of the Da Lat agricultural region, the floods at the end of November and the prolonged heavy rains in early December 2025 damaged approximately 2,000 hectares of vegetables along the Da Nhim River, of which two-thirds were cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, and radishes intended for the Tet holiday.

In Da Lat and Lac Duong, approximately 2,000 hectares of outdoor-grown vegetables were also damaged due to prolonged rain causing waterlogging, rotting, and breakage. These were mainly high-value crops with long cultivation periods.

In his garden in Lam Vien ward, Da Lat, Mr. Nguyen Huu Nam said that after realizing his Tet holiday vegetable crop had been "swept away by the rain," his family proactively plowed the land again while the rain was still falling. He decided to switch the entire area to growing short-term vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, and chrysanthemum greens.

He said that if they tried to keep the plants for too long, they wouldn't have enough time to harvest them, and since Tet is the most important season of the year, the safest option now is to replant vegetables that can be harvested within one and a half to two months to ensure they are ready for market.

Along the Da Nhim River, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Huong's family is busy plowing and leveling their garden, which spans over 5,500 square ^meters . The flood not only destroyed all the crops but also caused landslides along the garden banks, washing away some of the soil. This forced the family to buy land at a price of approximately 400,000 VND per cubic ^meter to level the ground before planting a new crop of vegetables. According to him, the costs have increased significantly, but if they don't finish the work in time, the entire Tet (Lunar New Year) season will be lost.

These two households are not alone; many farmers in the Da Lat vegetable growing region are simultaneously adjusting their farming practices. They are prioritizing common, easy-to-grow vegetables that can be harvested continuously, such as water spinach, various types of cabbage, and chrysanthemum greens, to reduce risks and ensure the supply of essential goods for the Tet holiday market.

We will maintain the Tet supply chain.

According to the Lam Dong Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, the area planted with vegetables for the 2026 Lunar New Year in the Da Lat agricultural region (including Da Lat and surrounding areas) is over 10,000 hectares, with an estimated yield of 300,000 tons.

The product structure focuses on three main groups: leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cauliflower, spinach, Chinese cabbage, and cabbage; root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes; and fruit vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, and various types of beans. These are all items that serve daily consumer needs and have stable consumption in the provinces of the Southeast, Mekong Delta, and Central regions, and especially in the Ho Chi Minh City market.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong, Director of Phong Thuy Company (Duc Trong area), believes that this year's Tet season cannot maintain the same diverse range of goods as in previous years. According to him, if they tried to maintain the same range of products, from root vegetables to leafy greens and spices as last year, no company would have enough time to prepare, because the rainy season in the production areas has only just ended about a week ago, while Tet is fast approaching.

Mr. Phong's company is working with farmers to focus on popular leafy vegetables, prioritizing the availability of fresh produce for the Tet holiday market. The company anticipates a 40% decrease in agricultural output for this year's Tet season compared to last year.

According to Mr. Phong, although the cultivated area for this year's Tet crop has decreased, the pressure on production in Da Lat's agricultural region is not too intense because Da Lat uses a multi-method production model. While there is a shortage of outdoor-grown vegetables (which occupy a large area), this is partially compensated by high-tech farms using greenhouses and net houses, such as hydroponic vegetables, bell peppers, and sweet peppers.

"This product will account for about 15% of Da Lat's agricultural output during this year's Tet season, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year," Mr. Phong stated. "Currently, we are reviewing the production linkage network to obtain accurate data to help markets and supermarkets plan sales and coordinate production accordingly," he added.

There is no shortage of vegetables, and prices are stable.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Phuc, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province, said that the biggest problem currently is seedlings. The Department has coordinated with the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection to provide seedlings to farmers, especially in deeply flooded areas, and also recommended that farmers adjust their crop structure, focusing on agricultural products that can be harvested within the next two months to be ready for Tet (Lunar New Year).

Mr. Phuc affirmed that if the weather remains sunny and dry from now until before Tet, Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces and cities, which are major markets for Da Lat's agricultural products, will certainly not lack vegetables and tubers, and prices will remain stable.

MAI VINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khong-de-tp-hcm-thieu-rau-tet-20251215082948244.htm