Yellow apricot blossoms are "fickle" in the cold, growers are struggling, the market is unstable

Prolonged cold weather and unusual rains have caused the yellow apricot blossoms – the symbol of spring in the South – to bloom slowly and have sparse buds. Apricot growers are in trouble, traders are struggling, and the Tet flower market is facing the risk of scarcity and high prices.

Prolonged cold weather in Dak Lak causes yellow apricot blossoms to bloom slowly, Lunar New Year at risk of lacking spring colors

The 2025 Spring Flower Market at 10/3 Square, Buon Ma Thuot City (Dak Lak) is no longer bustling with yellow apricot flowers like previous years. In the chilly weather, Mr. Le Viet Tri (65 years old, residing in Tan Loi ward) shared his worries about the yellow apricot trees in his garden:

"My family has 6 apricot trees to celebrate Tet, but the prolonged cold weather has caused the apricot buds to develop slowly, and there is even a risk that they will not bloom on time. I have to run everywhere to find apricot trees, but it is difficult to choose a satisfactory tree, because most of the apricot trees have sparse buds."

Mr. Le Viet Tri (65 years old, living in Tan Loi ward) went everywhere looking for yellow apricot flowers to play Tet but still could not choose a satisfactory tree.

Mr. Tran Van Hoang (68 years old, residing in Khanh Xuan ward) also had the same feeling. Mr. Hoang said that for many years, the weather after Christmas in Dak Lak has always been sunny and warm, but this year is completely different.

Visitors to the spring flower market were disappointed when the apricot blossoms did not meet the standards of previous years.

"Never before in Dak Lak has the weather been as cold as this year. All four apricot trees that I sent to the gardener for care have only a few sparse buds. I went to the flower market hoping to find a beautiful tree, but the overall situation is not much better," Mr. Hoang said sadly.

Gardeners and traders struggle to make ends meet, yellow apricot blossoms become "rare goods" near Tet

Young girls take pictures next to a billion-dollar yellow apricot tree, however the prolonged cold weather has made the apricot trees look stunted and less spring-like than usual.

Not only local people are facing difficulties, gardeners and traders are also having headaches because the apricot blossoms do not bloom at the right time. At a booth displaying many large and small apricot pots, Mr. Duong Thanh Hieu (in Cu Kuin district) explained:

"The yellow apricot tree is naturally suited to warm, sunny weather. If there is continuous sunshine for 12 days before Tet, the flowers will bloom at the right time. But this year, the prolonged cold and frost from September to November have damaged the young buds. Therefore, most of the apricot trees cannot bloom like every year, many trees only have a few buds."

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hoa with pots of yellow apricot flowers that were selected to bring to Dak Lak but the flower buds are sparse, clearly reflecting the influence of this year's weather.

A similar situation also occurs in Binh Dinh – the capital of yellow apricot flowers. Talking to a reporter from Dan Viet Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hoa (living in An Nhon district), who has more than 20 years of experience growing apricot flowers, shared:

"This year has been a year of uncertainty. The erratic weather has caused many apricot buds to be damaged. Since September, we have had to face summer-like heat, followed by prolonged cold and steady rain. Familiar care techniques are almost ineffective in these weather conditions."

Amidst a garden of apricot flowers with few flowers, a rare yellow apricot blossom becomes a vibrant highlight at 10/3 Square in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province.

Mr. Hoa also shared that in previous years, every time the Lunar New Year approached, he often brought mai flowers to the northern provinces for consumption. However, this year, due to the extremely cold weather in the North, he had to change his plan and bring 70 mai pots to the spring flower market in Buon Ma Thuot. Despite careful selection, after three days of display, Mr. Hoa still had not sold any pots.

"The cost of transporting the apricot blossoms from Binh Dinh to here has cost nearly 30 million VND, not to mention the cost of renting a booth and living expenses during the time at the flower market. If the apricot blossoms do not bloom in time or sell slowly, the risk of losing capital is very high," Mr. Hoa said worriedly.

Traders also cannot escape the difficult spiral due to the harsh weather. Ms. Thai Minh Tuyet (in Cu Ni commune, Ea Kar district) shared about the days of tirelessly traveling all over Binh Dinh to find apricot flowers:

"Recently, in Ea Kar district, the weather was both cold and rainy, causing the apricot trees to hardly bud. In Binh Dinh, this year only about 20% of the apricot trees met the standards.

People in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak are "red-eyed" looking to buy yellow apricot blossoms at the spring flower market.

Prices at the orchard have increased by 20% compared to last year, but the quality is not as expected. Cold rain and frost have damaged many apricot buds, making business more difficult than ever."

Ms. Tuyet said that a 1.4m high apricot tree this year costs about 700,000 VND, an increase of 200,000 VND compared to last year. Although the price has increased, the quantity of quality apricot trees is very small, making the apricot market for Tet this year scarce.

Unusual weather in many places, including Dak Lak, has caused many pots of yellow apricot flowers to have only a few buds, making it difficult for them to bloom in time for Tet.

Mr. Luu Tan Van, Chief of Office of the Dak Lak Ornamental Plants Association, said that at this time, apricot blossoms should have bloomed 10-20% in time for Tet, but due to the colder weather compared to previous years, very few apricot trees bloomed on time. Only gardens that invested in technology and increased lighting could have flowers bloom on time.

"Not only Dak Lak, but also the southern provinces are facing the risk of a shortage of Tet apricot flowers. Over the past 4 days, the survey team has searched for yellow apricot flowers in Tien Giang but it is very difficult to find trees that meet the standards to bring to the province.

In the capital of yellow apricot flowers, Binh Dinh, the situation is even more unfavorable due to unfavorable weather, especially the serious impact of storm No. 3," said Mr. Van.

According to Mr. Van, the yellow apricot market this year faces a serious shortage, while prices are expected to increase much higher than in previous years, making buying and selling difficult and challenging.

Source: https://danviet.vn/dak-lak-mai-vang-dong-danh-truoc-cai-lanh-nguoi-trong-lao-dao-thi-truong-chao-dao-20250118212901466.htm