Although the models haven't developed as strongly as in some other localities in the province, gradually grasping market demand, many farmers in Vinh Linh district have invested in growing commercial flowers to supply during Tet (Lunar New Year). Currently, the largest-scale flower garden belongs to Mr. Le Van Phong (born in 1979), in Lai Binh village, Vinh Chap commune. For the past 10 years, Mr. Phong has earned an additional income of approximately 250 million VND per flower crop.
Mr. Le Van Phong tends to his flower garden during the period leading up to the Lunar New Year - Photo: NGUYEN TRANG
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Dragon, Mr. Phong and his workers focused on tending to over 2,000 potted flowers and 100,000 potted flowering plants, which had been planted months earlier on his flower garden spanning more than 1.5 hectares, in preparation for sale. Having started learning and experimenting with flower cultivation in 2014, over the past 10 years, Mr. Phong has accumulated extensive experience in growing and caring for popular flowers during Tet (Lunar New Year) such as apricot blossoms, chrysanthemums, peonies, and primroses.
Thanks to that, his flower garden thrived. It's known that in the first three years, Mr. Phong only tried planting a few hundred potted flowers, mainly chrysanthemums, importing seeds from Da Lat city. Seeing promising results, he gradually expanded the area, made his own pots, propagated plants from tissue culture, and increased the number and variety of flowers grown on a large scale.
Mr. Phong shared: “I find that growing flowers to sell during Tet (Lunar New Year) doesn't require a huge investment. My flower garden has cost me about 250 million VND so far. Growing flowers isn't too difficult either; you just need to pay attention to choosing quality seeds, planting and caring for them using the right techniques, and preventing and controlling pests and diseases.”
"Pay special attention to the weather, humidity, and sunlight, and adjust the planting, fertilizing, watering, pruning, and leaf removal times accordingly so that the plants bloom at the right time for Tet, with uniform and beautiful flowers, making them easier to sell and fetching higher prices."
With the current quantity of flowers in his garden, Mr. Phong plans to sell 70% to traders in the province and Quang Binh province around December 20th (lunar calendar) according to pre-orders. The remaining 30% he will transport to Vinh Linh district to display and sell directly at the Spring Flower Fair.
According to Mr. Phong's calculations, with flower prices ranging from 150,000 VND to 2 million VND per pot depending on the type, he earns over 500 million VND. After deducting expenses, his profit is approximately 250 million VND. Mr. Phong's flower farm also provides regular employment for 5 local workers.
According to Le Duc Quang Huy, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Vinh Chap commune: "Vinh Chap commune does not have many advantages for developing crops due to the hilly terrain. The commercial flower cultivation model of Mr. Le Van Phong's household is a new direction, bringing higher income compared to cultivating other crops, and importantly, it shows stability because the market for commercial flowers has been quite favorable in most years."
Considering the effectiveness of the model, the Farmers' Association of Vinh Chap commune also advised the People's Committee of the commune to create conditions for Mr. Phong's family to rent land to expand the area for flower cultivation. In the future, the Farmers' Association of Vinh Chap commune will continue to support and encourage households in need to learn from and replicate the model, promoting crop diversification and increasing income for rural laborers in Vinh Chap."
The model of local farmers in the province investing in large-scale commercial flower cultivation has contributed to supplying local flowers for the Tet market, reducing costs associated with importing flowers from other provinces and cities. This brings joy to flower growers, flower traders, and flower buyers alike during the Tet holiday.
Nguyen Trang
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