Quynh Luu flower growers may 'lose Tet' due to weather

About 7 hectares of fresh flowers in Quynh Luu will grow slowly and will not be available for sale in time for Tet due to unfavorable weather. Photo: Viet Hung.

Unlike previous seasons, this year, people in Hong Phu flower village, Quynh Hong commune (Quynh Luu) are heartbroken that with just over a month left until the Lunar New Year 2020, the flowers have only developed 1/3 of the stage and cannot bloom in time to serve the Tet market. More than a month ago, people had to uproot and replant. If the weather does not support in the coming time, people here may "lose Tet".

At the flower field, Mrs. Tran Thi Quang's family - Hong Phu village, Quynh Hong commune is focusing on taking care of the newly planted flower areas and stretching tarpaulins and plastic to protect against the cold.

In the middle of the 9th lunar month, the family planted 15,000 chrysanthemums and lisianthus flowers, but when the flowers had taken root, heavy rain caused root rot and damaged more than half of the area. On October 10, the family bought seeds to replant and now the flowers have only grown to 20 - 30 cm. The remaining areas are also slow to grow, not as vigorous as last year's flowers, the family is focusing on taking care of them to have flowers to sell during Tet.

Mrs. Tran Thi Quang - Hong Phu village, Quynh Hong commune (Quynh Luu)

For the damaged flower growing areas that cannot be restored, people intercrop vegetables to have products to harvest. Photo: Viet Hung.

Hong Phu flower village has about 150 households growing flowers with a total area of ​​over 6 hectares. Starting in the middle of the 9th lunar month, people focus on planting seeds and waiting for the harvest season. However, due to the rainy weather this year, every household suffered heavy losses, of which about 40-50 households lost up to 70% of their area and on average each hectare lost about 5 million VND in seeds, not including the cost of care and fertilization.

“Some households have to grow vegetables in the damaged flower areas to harvest. If they grow flowers successfully, they can earn tens of millions of dong per sao. However, this year, the supply of flowers to the market is likely not as abundant as previous years, and many households will not have flowers to sell,” said Ms. Ho Thi Minh.

Farmers carefully tend to the flowers in the fields, hoping to recoup their initial investment. Photo: Viet Hung.

Not only in Hong Phu flower village, but many flower growers in Quynh Luu district are also struggling because their flowers died from the rain and have to be restored. In An Hoa commune, farmers are currently taking urgent care of their flowers and protecting them from the cold.

Mr. Le Van Quyet - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of An Hoa Commune (Quynh Luu) said: "After the flowers were planted and restored, about 2.5 hectares of flowers in the area are now green and lush. To overcome the difficult period, the locality directed people to stay in the fields to take care of and add fertilizers to help the plants grow healthily; for the newly developed flower areas, it is necessary to monitor, warm with light bulbs and surround and cover with plastic to protect the flowers from the cold."