Làng hoa, làng rau, làng quả tất bật vào vụ Tết | VTV24

Key Concepts

• Post-Flood Agricultural Recovery: Rapid resumption of farming after natural disasters, focusing on short-cycle crops.
• Tet (Lunar New Year) Production: Specialized agricultural production geared towards the high demand during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.
• Cooperative Farming (Hợp tác xã): Collaborative farming models providing stability and income for farmers.
• Fruit Shaping (Tạo hình): Artistic modification of fruits (grapefruit, mango, coconut) for aesthetic and economic value.
• Organic Farming (Hữu cơ): Agricultural practices emphasizing natural methods and minimizing chemical inputs.
• Contract Farming (Sản xuất theo đơn đặt hàng): Production based on pre-arranged contracts with buyers, ensuring market access.
• Value Chain Linkages: Collaboration between farmers, cooperatives, and businesses for stable production and consumption.
• Market Saturation: The point where demand for a product decreases due to oversupply and lack of innovation.

Agricultural Recovery and Tet Production in Vietnam (2025-2026)

I. Initial Recovery from Flooding & Tet Preparations (Late 2025)

The late 2025 floods caused near-total damage to a flower farm. Immediately following the floods, with support from local authorities, the farm owner quickly restarted production to meet the Tet market demand, opting for short-cycle flower varieties. The farm operates on approximately 10,000-15,000 m² of land, maintaining that acreage to ensure sufficient flower supply.

In Phú Mỹ commune, farmers took advantage of favorable weather conditions to care for giao trees (a type of citrus) for the Tet season. Mild rain and moderate temperatures provided ideal growing conditions. Years of stable production in this region have led to continuous expansion of both production scale and market reach. Farmers participating in cooperative models achieve an average income of 10-12 million VND per sầu (a unit of measurement, likely referring to a harvest or yield). The Phú Mỹ cooperative plans to focus on producing 15 types of vegetables across its entire area, aiming to supply over 100 tons of produce to supermarkets and wholesale markets in Da Nang. The cooperative plays a crucial role in consuming the agricultural products of local farmers, boosting their income.

II. Benefits of Short-Cycle Crops & Cooperative Farming

Growing vegetables and flowers offers practical benefits, improving income, especially in rural areas. These are short-term crops with rapid growth cycles, allowing for continuous harvesting and easier capital turnover, reducing risks compared to long-term crops.

III. Fruit Shaping & High-Value Agriculture in the Mekong Delta (Late 2025 - Early 2026)

As the Bính Ngọ (Year of the Dragon) Tet approached, flower villages and fruit orchards in the Mekong Delta entered their busiest period. Fruit shaping, particularly with grapefruit, mango, coconut, and papaya, is gaining prominence. These shaped fruits symbolize luck and prosperity, increasing their market value. Farmers in the Mekong Delta are actively caring for and supplying high-quality, aesthetically pleasing, and safe products.

Ông Đầy, a farmer, has been cultivating ruby grapefruit for five years. Despite a high investment cost of over 200 million VND, the trees yield high productivity and quality. He employs organic farming methods, resulting in larger, more colorful, and sweeter fruits this year. Ông Quý Hồng supplies approximately 4,000 tons of fruit for the Tet market. Favorable weather, combined with the benefits of a grapefruit preservation program, has farmers optimistic about a bountiful Tet harvest.

Đồng Tháp province, with nearly 20,000 hectares of mango orchards, is also focusing on improving cultivation techniques to achieve higher prices during Tet. Bagging the fruit ( bao trái) limits pesticide use, improves skin appearance, and enhances safety, leading to price stability or increases.

IV. Technical Advancements & Production Scale (2026)

In preparation for Tet Bính Ngọ 2026, orchards in Đồng Tháp have applied techniques to nearly 14,200 hectares of fruit trees, with an estimated yield of over 183,000 tons. Government agencies encourage farmers to connect with businesses and cooperatives for smoother sales. Beyond selling to traders, orchards in the Mekong Delta are opening their doors to tourists, generating additional income from specialty fruit gardens. Shaped fruit is evolving into a unique economic direction for Mekong Delta farmers, offering high added value and new opportunities.

V. Collaborative Models & Quality Control

Ông Võ Trung Thành, a seasoned grapefruit shaper, emphasizes the importance of consistency for brand reputation. As the market expands, he collaborates with neighboring farms, establishing a tight-knit network to control quality. He personally shapes the fruits, even if it reduces profit margins due to shared costs, ensuring stability and quality.

Anh Đoàn Hoàng Vũ has secured advance orders for 70% of his 2,000 shaped grapefruits through contract farming. Producing according to export or supermarket contracts allows for tailored product creation based on customer needs.

VI. Popular Shaped Fruits & Artistic Techniques

Currently, shaped grapefruits, coconut shaped like gourds (dừa hồ lô), and mangoes with calligraphic designs (xoài thư pháp) are the most popular choices among customers. The artistry lies in the skill of the farmers. Creating a gourd-shaped coconut, for example, requires binding the fruit for approximately six months to achieve the desired shape. The calligraphy is carefully applied to the coconut’s surface, ensuring aesthetic alignment.

VII. Challenges & Future Directions

While collaborative models may slightly reduce individual farmer profits, they guarantee market access and stability. However, the market is becoming saturated with shaped fruit, leading to price declines not due to quality or skill, but due to oversupply. The focus is shifting from quantity to creativity, design, and the story behind the product. This represents a crucial direction for shaped fruit to become a long-term, economically and culturally valuable agricultural product. Innovation is key, as the market for traditional shapes is losing its appeal.

Technical Terms:

• Tet (Tết): Vietnamese Lunar New Year, the most important holiday in Vietnam.
• Hợp tác xã (Cooperative): A cooperative farming model.
• Sầu: A unit of measurement for agricultural yield, likely a harvest or a specific quantity.
• Bao trái (Bagging): Covering fruit with a protective bag to improve quality and reduce pesticide use.
• Tạo hình (Fruit Shaping): The art of modifying the shape of fruits.
• Hữu cơ (Organic): Relating to organic farming practices.
• Sản xuất theo đơn đặt hàng (Contract Farming): Production based on pre-arranged contracts.
• Dừa hồ lô (Gourd-shaped coconut): A coconut shaped like a gourd, a symbol of good luck.
• Xoài thư pháp (Calligraphic Mango): A mango with calligraphic designs carved onto its surface.