COVID-19 brings losses to flower growers

 

 

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Days before the International Women’s Day (March 8) are often the best for flower sellers at Tay Tuu Flower Village in Hanoi, but the continuing COVID-19 epidemic has cut sales of flowers in half this season.

Nguyen Cong Cuong and his wife have prepared 1,000 roses to deliver to customers. Unlike in other years when they had to hire more people to cut the plants, this season they have done all the work themselves to reduce costs.

Cuong said: "Prices of flowers this year have dropped by half. Normally, after Tet (Lunar New Year) we can sell flowers for Valentines’ Day, temple rituals, Spring festivals, and for International Women’s Day. This year, COVID-19 stopped all those things, dumping the prices of the flowers. Most of us face losses."

His wife, Nguyen Thi Nga, said: “Now we sell each bouquet of 100 roses at 100,000 VND (4.3 USD). Last year, the price was 200,000 VND or more.”

Planting flowers in 1,440sq.m of land, Nga said: "The sales we make this season may not cover rent for land, fertiliser and others.”

Growing more flowers and also more expensive ones, Le Thi Ki is facing bigger losses.

Ki said: "My family has more than 3,600sq.m of lilies that are ready to harvest. At present, a bunch of lilies (with five flowers) are about 20,000 VND each. Compared to the prices from Tet holiday, the prices of each decreased by 35,000 VND.”

She thinks the COVID-19 epidemic and postponing of festivals greatly reduces the need to buy flowers for temples and pagodas, adding that ordinary people are worried about the epidemic’s influence on the economy and have started tightening their spending.

Tay Tuu Flower Village is in Bac Tu Liem district, some 20km from the city centre. The 250ha-village supplies flowers to Hanoi and other northern provinces for big festivals and events./.