Fields welcome Tet

Nhon Trach water melon make farmers concerned

Long Tho (Nhon Trach District) water melon-specializing area has no longer focused on commune’s major fields like before years. Water melon area for Tet also decreases approximately 10 hectares less than 5 hectares compared to last year. Over a half of area has been cultivated in mountain fields to avoid prolonged rains at the end of crop like last year. Mr. Nguyen Van Dai, owner of 5 water melon perches on mountain field shares he planted 7 perches on specializing area for Tet, unexpectedly corrupted by rains, and when re-cultivating, he could not crop for Tet. This year, he moves to mountain fields, although it is hard to work, without worrying of rain. According to some information, the output of last water melon crop in Long Tho had been reduced 40 percent due to prolonged rains. Many households have to eat “late water melon”. This year, majority of water melon have been cultivated on mountain fields which is virgin land, planted for the first time and properly cultivating, so according to farmer’s evaluation, if the weather is good from now to Tet, productivity can reach to 2.5 ton of water melon per perch Ư

If cultivation of water melon on mountain fields is quite good, area of water melon at major fields only develops at the average level. During the days in the middle of last lunar November, degree is lower and includes rains caused water melon’s leaves upturned. Some farmers said last cold spell affects quite much to water melon’ growth, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Phuong- owner of 6 perches in major fields said in the cold days, her fields had been upturned, so she has to spray constantly to make them return. A lot tender lianas have been so top-pulled that could not grow. If it has one or two colder spell, she has to sell a lot of green water melons. Nhon Trach has not only Long Tho water melon but also Phuoc Luong water melon fields (about 4 hectares) belonged to Phu Huu Commune that has been cultivated properly to sell on Tet Festival.

Bung Can red lily “waiting for price”

New Year of 2006, Bung Can (Bao Hoa Commune-Xuan Loc District) red lily goes for a good price (beautiful flowers up to 22 thousand VND per dozen double to Tet of 2005); people who cultivate red lily got a big profit. Because of high requirements of red lily, area of this flower has been shot up from 20 hectares to 40 hectares. Now not only Bao Hoa people but also Xuan Phu (bordered to Bao Hoa) people plant red lily. Ms. Ngo Thi Huong-owner of 1 hectare of red lily in Xuan Phu said if Tet price of red lily get 20 thousand VND per dozen, she can get an interest of 50 million VND.

Ms. Huong adds Xuan Phu people transferred about tens hectares of rice to red lily. Many Bao Hoa professional farmers in red lily cultivation moved to Xuan Phu and hire land for planting. In these days, price of red lily is a lively conservations, they expect flower’s price in Tet, some people are anxious about low price due to large cultivating area, although present price has been sold equal to last year 6.000 VND per dozen. Mr. Le Van Dung- owner of 4 perches of Bung Can red lily- also flower businessman considers price is only about 15.000 per dozen, because of quite large planting area. Numbers of flowers have been collected on this Tet more than before years. According to red lily-cultivators’ calculation, with the price of 15 per dozen, they still get a profit of 30-40 million per hectare depending on each field.

(Translated by THKC )