People are worried because the peach blossoms bloomed early.

(Baonghean) - With more than two weeks left until the Lunar New Year, over 80% of the peach blossoms in Kim Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, have already bloomed, causing anxiety and restlessness among the local people.

The consecutive and unusual floods in 2013 severely impacted the growth and development of the peach orchard belonging to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Toi's family in Dong Ban hamlet, Kim Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district. Despite his efforts to care for the trees after the floods, and the gradual stabilization and good development of the orchard, Mr. Toi planned to preserve the trees and force them to bloom for sale during Tet (Lunar New Year). However, all his hard work was wasted as the erratic weather, alternating between rain and sunshine, resulted in the peaches not blooming as expected. Mr. Toi stated: "Peach growers work hard all year to cultivate their trees, hoping for extra income and a more prosperous Tet, but this year the peaches bloomed too early, causing significant losses for my family and other villagers. All the hard work and care yielded no harvest; everyone is very discouraged."

The peach blossoms bloomed early, causing losses for the people of Kim Thanh during the Lunar New Year.

Not only Mr. Thanh's family but also more than 140 peach-growing households in Dong Ban hamlet, Kim Thanh commune, are facing the risk of a failed peach harvest. According to the locals, the cause of this phenomenon is the erratic weather. At the beginning of the rainy season, it was still hot and dry, but in the middle of the season, there was too much rain, causing the roots to waterlogged and disrupting the peach trees' biological rhythm, leading to premature flowering. Mr. Phan Tat Thanh – Dong Ban hamlet, Kim Thanh commune, said: "Every year, around the 15th of the 12th lunar month, the peach trees would shed their leaves, then bud and bloom, allowing us to harvest and sell them for Tet. But this year, there has been too much rain, and peach trees don't like waterlogging, so by the beginning of the 12th lunar month, the peach trees have already shed their leaves, budded, and bloomed. The people are very worried. Many households have tried everything but couldn't stop it, and they are helplessly watching the flowers bloom with heavy hearts."

Since 2005, recognizing the growing popularity of peach blossom trees during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), farmers in Dong Ban hamlet have boldly propagated the native pink peach blossom variety and developed its cultivation on over 5 hectares of hillside gardens. Some households plant a few hundred trees, while others cultivate up to 1 hectare (equivalent to about 1,200 trees). With an average price of 200,000 VND per branch, farmers earn approximately 50 million VND annually, with some households earning hundreds of millions of VND. This doesn't even include trees with beautiful shapes, abundant buds, and flowers that can fetch millions of VND per tree. Kim Thanh pink peach blossoms possess many beautiful qualities; being a natural variety, they have a pink color, small petals, and when in bloom, they intertwine, exuding an air of elegance and charm.

Therefore, Kim Thanh's peach blossoms have gradually won over peach blossom enthusiasts both within and outside the district, even reaching other provinces. Every year, around the 20th of the 12th lunar month, villages and hamlets are bustling with buyers and sellers, with motorbikes and cars from Nghi Loc, Cua Lo, and Vinh City lining up to buy peach blossoms. However, this year the peach blossoms bloomed early, causing anxiety among the villagers. Many households with years of experience in peach cultivation are helpless, watching their orchards bloom prematurely with a sense of sadness. Mr. Nguyen Van Quan – Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Kim Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district – said: "Peach cultivation is a very effective profession… bringing a very large income to farmers compared to some other crops. The annual revenue from peach cultivation in Kim Thanh reaches 400-500 million VND, contributing greatly to the socio-economic development of the locality." But this year, the peach blossoms bloomed early, which saddened the villagers and affected their income during Tet. It's been a difficult year for a poor mountainous commune like Kim Thanh.

This year, peach blossoms in Kim Thanh bloomed earlier than usual. If this situation continues, there will be no peach blossoms to sell by around the 25th of the 12th lunar month, resulting in significant losses for the farmers. This also serves as a lesson for peach growers, providing them with valuable experience, especially in mastering technical and biological factors to apply in practice.

Text and photos:Anh Tuan - Thai Hong

(Yen Thanh Radio Station)