Farmers busy as Tet flower, fruit season gets under way

With only about one month left until the Lunar New Year of Binh Ngo 2026, production activities across rural areas of Dong Nai province have become more bustling. From flower gardens and fruit orchards to high-tech agricultural models, farmers are busy tending and fine-tuning the final stages of cultivation, hoping for a Tet season that is both productive and profitable.

The chrysanthemum garden of Doan Van Thuy and his wife, living in Quarter 1, Binh Loc ward, Dong Nai province. Photo: An Nhon

Busy tending flower crops

For more than a month now, Huynh Van Hoang, a resident of Phu My 1 hamlet, Nhon Trach commune, has spent almost all his time in the garden. From early morning until late afternoon, he carefully tends, fertilizes, waters, and shapes each ornamental plant pot for the Tet market.

In addition to focusing on cultivation techniques, Hoang closely monitors weather and climate conditions to promptly apply pest and disease prevention measures. As a result, his family's garden remains healthy year-round, with flowers blooming evenly and beautifully.

This year, Hoang invested in nearly 400 bougainvillea pots of various types and 60 pots of yellow apricot blossom trees for the Tet season. Bougainvillea pots are sold at prices ranging from 500 thousand to 15 million VND each, depending on the plant’s age, trunk size, form, and flower quality. As for the yellow apricot trees, he mainly grows them out of personal passion and rents them to locals for Tet displays, which both generate additional income and help preserve these valuable trees.

Hoang shared that this year’s weather has been favorable for bougainvillea but less so for apricot trees. Due to the leap year lasting 13 months, combined with erratic rain and sun, many apricot trees in his garden bloomed early or had buds that dried up before fully developing, accounting for about 20 percent. “I am trying to apply years of accumulated experience to adjust the care process and limit early blooming. Although facing difficulties, I still maintain the apricot garden to satisfy my passion and create additional income for my family,” Hoang said.

Fueled by his love for ornamental plants, Huynh Van Hoang has been a pioneer in developing ornamental flower cultivation in the locality. With more than 25 years in the trade, he currently owns a garden of about 5,000 square meters, with nearly 4,000 bougainvillea plants across roughly 40 rare varieties, including almost 20 that bloom year-round, along with around 100 pots of apricot trees. The value of each ornamental plant ranges from several hundred thousand to several tens of millions of VND. Thanks to this model, his family's financial situation has become increasingly stable, allowing them to build a spacious home and support their children’s education.

Beyond improving his own livelihood, Hoang is also willing to share his knowledge of flower and ornamental plant cultivation with many local farmers who share the same passion, contributing to the development of new production directions and helping raise incomes in the community.

Meanwhile, Do Van Phuc (a resident of Binh Loi hamlet, Da Kia commune) is busy preparing for the Tet flower season in a different direction. This year, he invested in 1,000 finished pots of hoya flowers of various types for the market. In addition to online sales, his family also distributes products directly at flower markets and display shops. Each pot of hoya flowers is priced from 120,000 to 300,000 VND, depending on variety, flower quality, and pot size.

Do Van Phuc, a resident of Binh Loi hamlet, Da Kia commune, introduces hoya flower products via online channels. Photo: An Nhon

According to Phuc, hoya flowers are mainly used to decorate homes, workplaces, and living spaces, and can be enjoyed year-round, so demand during Tet does not surge as strongly as for traditional flowers such as apricot, peach, and chrysanthemum. However, based on market observations, he still expects demand for hoya flowers to gradually increase in the near future.

Phuc is a pioneer in growing hoya flowers in the Da Kia area, choosing a unique path to build his brand. He independently researches and develops growing substrates and care processes that are “one of a kind,” focusing on product quality and technical advice for customers. His hoya garden currently covers about 5,000 square meters and features more than 130,000 plants across over 400 varieties. Products are stably consumed nationwide, especially in major cities. This model not only provides his family with a high income but also creates jobs for many local workers, prioritizing people with disabilities and elderly seniors.

High hopes for "bumper harvest, good prices"

In Quarter 4 of Tan Trieu ward, Le Thanh Trung is focusing on caring for his 6,000-square-meter pomelo orchard for the Tet season. With many generations of pomelo cultivation, Trung has extensive experience in caring for trees and regulating fruiting to ensure a harvest at the right time.

This year, his family’s pomelo output is estimated at about 10,000 fruits, slightly higher than last year. However, the current price of duong la cam pomelo is only about 200,000 VND per dozen, compared to 230,000–250,000 VND per dozen at the same time last year. Therefore, Trung continues to invest in improving appearance and quality in hopes of achieving the “dual benefit” of both good yield and good prices.

In 2003, when he got married, Trung was given more than 2 hectares of garden land by his parents. Since then, he has been dedicated to cultivating duong la cam pomelo as his main crop, while boldly applying scientific and technical advances to production and investing in machinery and equipment to reduce manual labor. Notably, he applies IMO organic fertilizer techniques, which help lower production costs while creating clean and safe products for consumers. Thanks to his methodical approach and refusal to follow short-term trends, his family's pomelo products have consistently maintained stable quality and reliable market access.

In addition to his success in economic development, Trung actively participates in new rural development movements and is always willing to support and share his experience with locals.

In the Ruong Lon quarter of Bao Vinh ward, Nguyen Van Dong has boldly shifted from low-efficiency crops such as coffee, pepper, and cashew to a melon cultivation model over the past three years, covering more than 3,000 square meters. He maintains three melon crops each year, generating a stable income for his family.

According to Dong, melons sell quite well during the Tet season, with prices typically higher than at other times of the year. This year’s weather has been favorable, and the melon plants are growing well, so he is very pleased with the high yield. “Last year, a Tet-season price of around 40,000 VND per kilogram was already profitable. I hope the price will rise slightly this year so that farmers can earn more and enjoy a more prosperous Tet,” Dong shared.

By An Nhon – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho