Farmers in Hao Duoc commune are busy planting seeds for the Tet flower crop.

Chrysanthemums are the flagship flower of Mrs. Vo Thi Phung's family garden.

Actively experiment with new flower varieties.

Hao Duoc commune was formed by merging three communes: Hao Duoc, An Co, and Tri Binh (formerly in Tay Ninh province). After the merger, the area for growing Tet flowers expanded, and the new Hao Duoc commune is considered the largest Tet flower growing area in Tay Ninh province with an area of nearly 16 hectares.

Farmers in Vinh hamlet are busy planting short-term flower varieties.

Among them, Vinh hamlet is considered the "capital" of Tet flowers in Tay Ninh with traditional flowers such as chrysanthemums, marigolds, and kalanchoe. Truong hamlet is famous for its lilies, which are a popular choice for people to buy and display during Tet. For many years, gardeners in Hao Duoc commune have supplied tens of thousands of flower pots to the market each year, attracting traders and tourists from inside and outside the province to come and buy and visit.

In Vinh hamlet, farmers are focusing on tending to the Tet flower beds that were planted in July of the lunar calendar; they are also planting additional short-day flower varieties to be ready for sale closer to Tet. According to many gardeners, the weather at the end of the year is quite favorable for flower growth.

The sowing process requires meticulousness and patience.

As one of the longest-standing flower-growing households in Vinh hamlet, with nearly 1 hectare of land, Mrs. Vo Thi Phung's family is busy sowing seeds and caring for various types of flowers. To meet the deadline for the Tet flower season, her family has to mobilize all family members to help. Besides some traditional flower varieties, this year, Mrs. Phung's family boldly experimented with growing pink Korean chrysanthemums, and is monitoring their growth daily to gain experience for future seasons.

Ms. Vo Thi Phung shared: "This year, my garden has planted about 30,000 baskets of flowers such as traditional chrysanthemums, Korean chrysanthemums, tiger chrysanthemums, and marigolds. The weather has been favorable, so the flowers have developed quite well, reaching nearly 90%."

Ms. Vo Thi Phung is monitoring the development of the Korean chrysanthemum variety.

Recognizing that the Lunar New Year flower crop is the main source of income for many farming households in the area, the Farmers' Association of the commune has consistently shown concern over the years, providing support in terms of science and technology for new flower varieties, capital for farmers to expand their cultivated area, and improving their digital skills in business and access to online business markets on social media.

Ms. Le Thi Nha Phuong, Head of Vinh Hamlet, Hao Duoc Commune, said: “The planted area remains basically stable compared to previous years, focusing on traditional flower varieties that are popular with many people. Most flower-growing households have received loan support from the job creation program and the Farmers' Support Fund of the Hao Duoc Commune Farmers' Association. Overall, production progress is favorable. Farmers expect this year's Tet flower crop to bring in good economic returns.”

Efforts to preserve the lily cultivation profession.

Unlike the cheerful atmosphere in Vinh hamlet, lily growers in Truong hamlet are quite worried about this year's harvest, as previous seasons have not been very favorable. Some households have proactively reduced the area and investment costs but are still trying to plant to preserve the local flower-growing tradition.

Mr. Thao's perfectly aligned lily garden

Mr. Dang Van Thao, a lily grower in Truong Hamlet, Hao Duoc Commune, expressed his concerns, saying that growing lilies requires more capital investment than growing rice or other crops. This type of flower is also susceptible to pests and diseases, so his family doesn't dare expand the cultivated area. "I don't know what the weather will be like from now until the end of the year, I'd be very happy if the garden could achieve 60-70% of its yield," Mr. Thao said.

In response to the concerns of farmers in Vinh hamlet, the hamlet's Farmers' Association regularly pays attention to and supports flower growers in improving their techniques and finding markets for their products.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa - Head of the Farmers' Association of Truong Hamlet (on the left) visits a farmer's lily garden in the area.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, Head of the Farmers' Association in Truong Hamlet, Hao Duoc Commune, said that in the past, the area for growing lilies was quite large. At that time, the hamlet established a lily farming cooperative, and the output for households was quite stable. In recent years, erratic weather, along with the lily crop being affected by pests and diseases, has made farmers' investments less effective, leading to a sharp decrease in planted area.

“The Farmers’ Association of the commune should focus on rebuilding this lily cultivation cooperative, and at the same time organize training on lily cultivation techniques for farmers, and increase capital support to help farmers stabilize their farming. We hope farmers will have a great harvest this season so they have capital to do even better in subsequent seasons,” Mr. Hoa said.

The annual Tet flower harvest is the main source of income for many households. Overcoming numerous difficulties and challenges in their work of toiling in the fields, flower growers in Hao Duoc commune are still striving to develop the flower-growing area and preserve the unique characteristics of the region. The people only hope for favorable weather, so that their hard work will be rewarded by seeing their products adorn every home and every street corner during the spring season.

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