VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoians now know for sure that they will have to spend more on peach and kumquat trees this Tet. The cold weather has pushed their prices by 15-30 percent in comparison with the previous Tet.

 
Nguyen Thanh Tuyen from Hung Yen province says that he has just leased a 100 square meter retail premise in Me Tri area for selling kumquat trees. Tuyen plans to sell 200 trees. He says the trees are mostly from Hung Yen province and they are priced at 400-450,000 dong each. styled kumquat trees are more expensive, about 1.5-1.8 million dong.

 

According to him, the cold weather means that farmers had to work harder to take care of these ornamental trees and therefore, it is understandable why the prices have increased so sharply. Farmers, for example, have to purchase thousands of nylon bags to cover the trees to protect them from the rain and the wind. “Higher expenses have led to higher sale prices,” he explains.

 

According to VnExpress, peach, kumquat and orange trees are being displayed on the pavements of Hoang Dao Thuy Road, Lang Market area and Ton That Tung street area. While orange and kumquat trees weigh down with fruits, peach trees have only thin blossoms.

 

Huong, the owner of an ornamental tree? shop, says that farmers have a poor crop of peach blossoms this year. Since the weather is too cold, very few trees blossom. A styled peach tree of 1.2-1.5 meters high would be at 5-12 million dong, more than the monthly salary of a high income earner.

 

Nguyen Cong Tuan from Hoai Duc district in Hanoi, who has 10years of experience in growing kumquat trees, says that kumquat and peach trees grown in the suburb areas of Hanoi, such as Quang Ba or Nhat Tan villages, are always more beautiful than trees from other provinces. Therefore, the trees grown in Hanoi are always 10 percent more expensive. Besides, the trees from other localities do not look as fresh have to travel a long distance.

 

Tuan says that the kumquat and peach tree market is heating up, but the highest sale season will only come in some more days, when people get their Tet bonuses and rush to the market to make purchases. “I only sold two trees yesterday,” he says.

 

Tuan Anh, the owner of 250 kumquat trees in Tu Lien village in Tay Ho district, , says that kumquat trees have been selling more slowly this year than the previous year. Many families in the same village say they have only sold 20 percent of all trees. People come to place their orders directly with the gardeners. It was very hot in June and then cold in the days before Tet, therefore, peach trees don’t blossom and kumquat trees don’t bear fruits.

 

He also says that his family has to water trees every day to clear the dew from the trees. Meanwhile, the fertilizer price has been increasing, thus making the production costs higher.

 

As the prices have been increasing, the sale has been going slowly. “Only the families which accept low prices, can sell all their peach trees,” Anh says.

 

The sharp price increases have prompted many people to rent trees instead of buying them. The Nhat Tan Trade and Service Company in Hanoi is one of the companies that provide the service. Clients can take trees from the 15th of the 12th lunar month and have to return themon the 20th of the first lunar month. A medium class peach tree is of 2-2.5 million dong, while bigger trees would be leased for 15-20 million dong.

 

“Our clients are mainly businesses. They just need the trees for Tet days and then they give them back to us. Some companies even ask  to reservethe same trees for the next years,” he says.

 

C. V