Hà Nội growers rebuild kumquat, peach orchards to prepare for Tết

A peach grower takes care of his tree in Nhật Tân Ward, Tây Hồ District, Hà Nội.—Photo baovanhoa.vn

HÀ NỘI — At 6 am, amid the chilly winter air, Nguyễn Văn Sơn, 38, from Tứ Liên Ward, Tây Hồ District, Hà Nội is taking care of his kumquat trees ready to serve the market on the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

Sơn said after Typhoon Yagi hit Hà Nội in September, over 300 kumquat trees in his garden were wiped out, with the damage estimated to run into hundreds of millions of đồng.

The past months have been filled with sleepless nights and overwhelming stress, but Sơn is determined to carry on.

Despite the hardship, he quickly rallied his family to restore the damaged garden.

For the trees that were killed due to the typhoon, the only option for him was to burn them down.

For those that survived, thanks to timely relocation, he carefully tended to each one, hoping they would recover in time.

Three months after the typhoon, the once-brown, waterlogged trees in the Tứ Liên Ward, which was often called the kumquat village of the capital, are slowly giving way to vibrant green leaves and the first hints of yellow kumquats.

Luckily, Sơn’s higher-altitude backup orchard allowed him to replace the lost trees, ensuring enough stock for the upcoming Tết, which he explained to the Văn hóa (Culture) online newspaper.

“The typhoon caused significant damage to the village and the mood around here is more sombre than usual,” Sơn said.

“But we’re still working tirelessly to prepare for Tết.”

In the last days of the year, he has to enlist help from his family and hire extra workers to care for every single kumquat tree.

As Tết approaches, Sơn, along with other kumquat and peach growers in Tứ Liên and Nhật Tân wards, are working hard to revive their gardens, hoping the trees will flourish just in time for the special holiday.

Peach grower’s struggle

For 78-year-old Đỗ Văn Kim, of Nhật Tân Ward in Tây Hồ District, luck was on his side with his higher-lying peach orchard during the typhoon.

Although the destructive force of the typhoon impacted his farm, the damage was not as severe as it might have been.

Yet, he is deeply concerned about this year's unusual weather, which not only brought floods, but also left the water supply heavily polluted, complicating the care of his delicate peach trees.

If the water reaches the leaves, they rot instantly and the peach tree will be beyond saving.

“This year, taking care of peaches requires more experience, effort and attention than ever before,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Kim remains devoted to his trees.

For him, growing beautiful peaches is more than just a business. It is a source of pride and a culmination of years of hard work and hope.

“Seeing the trees die because of the weather is heartbreaking. But no matter how hard it gets, I have to keep going because I know my regular customers always look forward to the beautiful peach trees for Tết,” he said.

Nguyễn Thị Khanh, 61, owner of Khanh Tích Kumquat Garden in Tứ Liên Ward, said the typhoon devastated the kumquat gardens of the ward, destroying up to 60 per cent of the crop, while Nhật Tân Ward also suffered about 30-40 per cent losses to its peach trees.

As a result, the overall number of kumquats and peaches available for this year’s Tết was expected to be lower and prices had risen slightly compared to last year.

Vice Chairman of the Kumquat Bonsai Association, Bùi Thế Mạnh, said that the rising costs of raw materials, pesticides and labour had further driven up prices.

Early Tết preparations

Peach branches for sale in Quảng Bá Flower Market in Tây Hồ District, Hà Nội.—Photo tienphong.vn

Though Tết is still over a month away, the Quảng Bá Flower Market in Quảng An Ward, Tây Hồ District, has already begun selling early-blooming peach branches and kumquat trees for those eager to decorate for Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Traders explain that most of the peaches on sale now are early-blooming varieties, intended for display during Christmas and New Year’s Day.

For the Lunar New Year, peach growers would strip the leaves so that the petals would bloom at the same time as the arrival of Tết, Lưu Thị Hậu, a vendor said.

Smaller branches with buds are priced between VNĐ120,000 to 200,000 (US$5-8), while larger, more mature branches with blooms can cost upwards of a million of đồng.

In addition to peaches, the market also features kumquats, with prices ranging around VNĐ350,000 ($14) per pot.

Trần Thanh Hồng, a vendor said that although this year kumquat prices had risen slightly due to the typhoon’s impact, the increase was minimal.— VNS