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The aftermath of widespread flooding caused by Typhoon Yagi continues to wreak havoc on Vietnam’s largest ornamental plant-growing region in Van Giang, Hung Yen province.
The Red River’s rising waters have left hundreds of hectares of ornamental plants submerged, severely impacting the livelihoods of local farmers. The floodwaters, which have lingered for days, have caused extensive damage, and the losses are estimated in the hundreds of millions of VND.
Van Giang is renowned as northern Vietnam’s largest supplier of ornamental plants, covering nearly 1,000 hectares and supporting many families who rely on the trade, particularly during festive seasons such as Tet. However, initial estimates indicate that 70% of the households involved in this trade have been significantly affected by the flooding.
Among the affected farmers is Mr. Dinh Van Thach, who owns seven acres of land where he grows a variety of plants, including kumquat and pomelo trees, which are traditionally sold during Tet. “A single pomelo tree can sell for around 10 million VND,” said Mr. Thach, explaining the extent of his losses. "But pomelo trees are known for their weak roots, and after being submerged for so long, they have all died."
On the morning of September 21, Mr. Thach inspected the remaining kumquat trees in his garden. Most of the tree trunks had turned black, indicating that they were beyond saving. He carefully examined each tree, hoping to salvage those that still showed signs of life, by treating them with root stimulants. "I’ll try to save what I can," he said, visibly disheartened.
Mr. Thach estimates his losses to be at least 500 million VND. Despite the devastation, he plans to clean up his garden and apply for bank loans to continue his business.
Mrs. Thu, another local farmer, faced similar destruction. Her garden was also submerged, and every plant has perished. Normally protected by a covering, her garden's shelter was torn apart by the storm. As she began the slow process of cleaning up, she reflected on her situation: “It’s painful to lose everything, but I think about others who have been even more severely affected. As farmers, we’ve lost it all, but we’ll still find a way to borrow and start again.”
The floods reached a critical point when the Red River's water level rose to level 3 on the danger scale, leaving a trail of destruction across the once-thriving gardens. Rows of potted plants lay scattered and ruined, and the damage has left some farmers questioning their next steps.
For Mr. Ly Van Quy's family, who has long cultivated bougainvillea, the prolonged flooding has led to total devastation. “We’ve been nurturing these plants for two to three years, waiting for them to be ready to sell,” Mr. Quy explained. “The damage is immense, with losses estimated at 400 million VND.”
As he surveyed his garden, cutting down dead plants, Mr. Quy expressed deep concern about the future. “We can buy new plants and replant, but it will take several years before they’re ready to sell again. The real challenge is how we’ll sustain ourselves financially during the gap.”
The farmers of Van Giang are facing immense financial pressure in the wake of the floods. Many are considering taking out loans to rebuild, but with the uncertainty of future weather events, the path forward remains difficult. Despite their resilience, these communities will need significant support to recover from this disaster and continue their centuries-old tradition of ornamental plant farming.
Due to the impact of Typhoon Yagi, the rising water levels of the Red River have caused severe flooding in the ornamental plant growing areas along the dike in Xuan Quan and Phung Cong communes (Van Giang District, Hung Yen Province).
Hundreds of hectares of ornamental plants have withered after being submerged in water for many days.
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Van Giang is known as the largest ornamental plant hub in the North, with nearly 1,000 hectares serving the holiday and Tet seasons. According to initial statistics, up to 70% of households involved in this trade have been heavily affected by the floods.
Mr. Dinh Van Thach owns 7 acres of land where he grows mainly long-term ornamental trees for sale during Tet, such as kumquats and pomelos. He shared that a pomelo tree could be sold to traders for around 10 million VND, but due to the weak roots, after being submerged in water for several days, they have all died.
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On the morning of September 21, Mr. Thach inspected the remaining kumquat trees in his garden. Most of the trees had turned yellow and black, beyond saving. For those with some green remaining under the bark, he brought them home to spray root stimulants and monitor further.
Mr. Thach’s kumquat garden is estimated to have suffered losses of no less than 500 million VND. In the coming days, after clearing the garden, he plans to apply for a bank loan to continue his business.
Ms. Thu’s garden also suffered complete losses due to the flooding. Normally covered with protective roofs, after the storm, she found that all the roofing had either blown away or collapsed onto the rows of ornamental plants.
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As of the morning of September 21, the area was still slightly flooded. She slowly cleaned up the garden, checking to see if any potted plants could be salvaged. "Although it’s painful to lose everything, I believe there are other places suffering worse damage. As ornamental plant farmers, even though we've lost everything, we can still borrow and start again," she said.
Broken and dead plants were scattered everywhere. At the time of the flooding, the Red River’s water level rose to the third warning level.
Mr. Ly Van Quy’s long-term bougainvillea garden was also destroyed due to the prolonged flooding. He said his garden had been nurtured for about 2-3 years before being ready for sale, with the current estimated loss at 400 million VND.
Mr. Quy was in his garden, cutting down the dead plants. "Now I’ll have to buy new plants, grow them for a few more years, and the biggest concern is how our family will manage financially during the gap years," he said with a sigh.
Thach Thao
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