Peach growers in Nghe An are extremely worried as the flowers bloom early, risking a total crop loss.
Although there is still more than a month until the Lunar New Year, peach blossoms have already bloomed profusely in many key peach-growing areas in Nghe An province, such as Kim Thanh (Quang Dong commune) and Minh Thanh (Van Du commune). This early spring-like beauty is causing peach growers to worry about the risk of losing their entire peach crop for Tet – their main source of income for the whole year.
Observations at Kim Thanh, the "peach blossom hub" in Quang Dong commune, show a somber atmosphere enveloping the peach-growing villages in early January 2026. Mr. Nguyen Hung, a long-time peach grower in Ngoc Lien hamlet, stands amidst his blossoming peach orchard with a heavy heart. He said that this year his family planted over 1,000 peach trees of both pink and red varieties. If the weather is favorable and the peaches bloom in time for Tet (Lunar New Year), his family expects to earn around 300 million VND. However, currently, over 600 trees have simultaneously burst into bloom, threatening to waste all their year-long efforts.
"Seeing the peach blossoms bloom so early breaks my heart. All the effort put into tending, pruning, removing leaves, monitoring the weather... now it's all for nothing. We farmers depend entirely on the weather for our livelihood. If the warm, sunny weather lasts for a long time and the peach blossoms bloom early, we have to accept the huge risk," Mr. Hung shared.
Unwilling to see the peach blossoms bloom prematurely, Mr. Hung's family tried many methods to slow down the flowering process. From mobilizing the whole family to dig up the roots, restricting nutrients, to even uprooting entire peach trees to slow down growth, all efforts were unsuccessful. "The peach blossoms still bloomed. Some areas had to be cleared to prepare for replanting in the next season," Mr. Hung sighed.
According to peach growers, it takes at least three years of care to cultivate a peach tree suitable for the Tet (Lunar New Year) market. Trees with beautiful shapes, ancient styles, and multi-petaled flowers require even longer investment. Immediately after Tet ends, farmers begin planting, caring for, fertilizing, and pruning the trees. Around the end of October or beginning of November in the lunar calendar, growers start stripping leaves and closely monitoring weather conditions to decide whether to encourage or delay blooming at the right time. Just a few weeks of weather deviation can ruin the entire peach crop.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Le Van Hong, Chairman of the Quang Dong Commune People's Committee, said: The entire commune currently has over 110 hectares of peach trees, which are the main source of income for many households. This year, the phenomenon of peach blossoms blooming more than a month before Tet (Lunar New Year) has had a significant impact on the lives of the people. Although there are no specific statistics on the extent of the damage, the reality shows that many households have lost their main source of income during Tet. The local government is coordinating with the people to find solutions to support and overcome immediate difficulties.
According to Mr. Hong, while technical measures can be applied to stimulate late-blooming peach blossoms, it is very difficult to slow them down once they have bloomed early. This puts peach growers at a significant disadvantage, especially given the increasingly unpredictable weather patterns in recent years.
In Van Du commune, the premature blooming of peach blossoms is also widespread. Ms. To Thi Nhung, a peach grower in Hamlet 8, said that her family has 250 Nhat Tan peach trees, but almost all of them have already bloomed. According to Ms. Nhung, this year is a leap year, making it more difficult to calculate the timing of leaf removal and care to ensure the peach blossoms bloom at the right time for Tet. In addition, the unusually warm weather recently has caused the peach trees to bloom prematurely.
According to her, the main source of income to support the family and prepare for Tet (Lunar New Year) depends on this peach blossom harvest. Now that the peach blossoms have bloomed early, the family has no choice but to cut them down, remove the leaves, and nurture the trees to wait for the next season, meaning this year's Tet will be even more difficult.
Mr. Hoang Van Tuan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Du commune, said that the entire commune currently has over 35 hectares of peach trees. Peach growers in particular, and farmers in general, are heavily dependent on weather conditions. If the weather is favorable and the peaches bloom on time, the people have a good income. Conversely, if the peaches bloom early or late, most people cannot sell them and have to leave them to grow for the following year, accepting losses.
