Vietnamese are willing to pay for imported flowers and ornamental plants for Tet (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA)- As the Tet (Lunar NewYear) holiday is approaching, people in Ho Chi Minh City and acrossthe country are opening their wallets to buy special ornamentalplants and imported flowers to decorate their homes for the nation'sbiggest festival.
Ha Thu Mai, owner of an imported flower shop in District 3, said that thewinter peach tree branches imported from Japan and the Netherlands weresold at 400,000 VND (17 USD) or more per branch, far more expensive thanthe locally grown peach tree.
Meanwhile, apricot blossom trees imported from Japan are sellingfrom 220,000 VND (8.5 USD) per branch.
At least 10 branches are needed for decoration. Customers have been willing tospend about 2.2 million VND to 4 million VND (85-170 USD) for each importedflower pots for Tet.
Besides the traditional Tet flowers,apricot blossoms and peach flowers, customers are also seeking to decoratetheir houses and offices with other artificial plants including mangos,kumquats and soursops, which are placed in ceramic pots and cost between 8million VND (340 USD) and 25 million VND (1,050 USD) each.
In recent years, there has been higher demand for uniquely shapedornamental trees for Tet suchas five-fruit trees, a new tree variety that farmer Le Duc Giapof Hanoi has successfully grown.
Depending on their size and quality, the trees, which yield fivefruits of pomelo, orange, tangerine, kumquat and phatthu (Buddha hand-shaped fruit), cost between 8 million VND and 25million VND.
The shapes of 12-animal ornamental plants are also in high demandthis Tet, especially those inthe shape of the rat, this year's zodiac symbol.
The rat-shaped plants are 1.5 metre high and are sold for 2-5 millionVND.
Last year, Vietnam imported flowers and ornamental plants worth 18 million USD includingorchids, rhododendron, dumb cane plants and cedrus bonsai trees for the2018 Lunar New Year.
Besides expensive imported flowers, the high rent needed to securea place to sell ornamental flowers and fruit trees have also pushedup Tet flower prices.
As usual, many types of ornamental flowers are being sold at flower shops. Buttraders and gardeners have also rushed to find places to sell peachblossoms and miniature orange citrus trees ahead of Tet.
Tran Ngoc Thien, owner of Truong Thien apricot blossom garden in HCMCity’s Binh Chanh district, said he had to spend 300 million VND (13,300 USD)to rent six land lots to sell apricot blossoms in Pham Van Dong street.
A few years ago, the rent in the area was only 10-15 million VND per landlot. But since flower sellers have been banned to showcase goods in many roads,the land lot rent has risen, causing problems for gardeners, he said.
Tran Thien, an apricot-blossoms seller in Cu Chi district, said that hehad to register early with organisers to secure a place in District 10 tosell flowers. The price of blossoms this year thus increases slightly dueto the high rents.
Some places used for selling flowers ahead of Tet everyyear have been relocated at the back of high-rise buildings./.
Ha Thu Mai, owner of an imported flower shop in District 3, said that thewinter peach tree branches imported from Japan and the Netherlands weresold at 400,000 VND (17 USD) or more per branch, far more expensive thanthe locally grown peach tree.
Meanwhile, apricot blossom trees imported from Japan are sellingfrom 220,000 VND (8.5 USD) per branch.
At least 10 branches are needed for decoration. Customers have been willing tospend about 2.2 million VND to 4 million VND (85-170 USD) for each importedflower pots for Tet.
Besides the traditional Tet flowers,apricot blossoms and peach flowers, customers are also seeking to decoratetheir houses and offices with other artificial plants including mangos,kumquats and soursops, which are placed in ceramic pots and cost between 8million VND (340 USD) and 25 million VND (1,050 USD) each.
In recent years, there has been higher demand for uniquely shapedornamental trees for Tet suchas five-fruit trees, a new tree variety that farmer Le Duc Giapof Hanoi has successfully grown.
Depending on their size and quality, the trees, which yield fivefruits of pomelo, orange, tangerine, kumquat and phatthu (Buddha hand-shaped fruit), cost between 8 million VND and 25million VND.
The shapes of 12-animal ornamental plants are also in high demandthis Tet, especially those inthe shape of the rat, this year's zodiac symbol.
The rat-shaped plants are 1.5 metre high and are sold for 2-5 millionVND.
Last year, Vietnam imported flowers and ornamental plants worth 18 million USD includingorchids, rhododendron, dumb cane plants and cedrus bonsai trees for the2018 Lunar New Year.
Besides expensive imported flowers, the high rent needed to securea place to sell ornamental flowers and fruit trees have also pushedup Tet flower prices.
As usual, many types of ornamental flowers are being sold at flower shops. Buttraders and gardeners have also rushed to find places to sell peachblossoms and miniature orange citrus trees ahead of Tet.
Tran Ngoc Thien, owner of Truong Thien apricot blossom garden in HCMCity’s Binh Chanh district, said he had to spend 300 million VND (13,300 USD)to rent six land lots to sell apricot blossoms in Pham Van Dong street.
A few years ago, the rent in the area was only 10-15 million VND per landlot. But since flower sellers have been banned to showcase goods in many roads,the land lot rent has risen, causing problems for gardeners, he said.
Tran Thien, an apricot-blossoms seller in Cu Chi district, said that hehad to register early with organisers to secure a place in District 10 tosell flowers. The price of blossoms this year thus increases slightly dueto the high rents.
Some places used for selling flowers ahead of Tet everyyear have been relocated at the back of high-rise buildings./.
VNA
