Hunting for highland peach trees

Along National Highway No6 in Son La province these days are long lines of ethnic people selling peach branches cut from the forests of the North-western mountainous region. 

Highland peach prices vary, ranging from VND200,000 to VND1 million or more, depending on their shape, buds, colour and age. Mossy branches usually cost more than normal ones, but they have been scare in recent years due to excessive exploitation.  

Vang A Dung, a local peach seller, said although the Tet holiday is drawing near, business is not brisk, resulting in low profits. Most purchasers come from Hanoi, Haiphong and other provinces.

Nguyen Van Nghia, a wholesale dealer, said forest peach is a bit cheaper than in previous years, explaining that recent prolonged cold spells interfered with blooming.

Peach sellers in the Moc Chau Plateau at an altitude of over 1,000m estimate they sell hundreds of thousands of peach branches during the Tet holiday. However, they admit beautiful branches are a rarity these days.  

In Hanoi, highland peach trees are displayed in bulk at flower markets along Lac Long Quan, Au Co or Hoang Hoa Tham streets. A mossy branch, which is 3m high, was said to have been cut from an old big peach tree far in the mountain forest and was extravagantly priced at VND13 million. 

The seller explained the branch has buds, flowers and fruit, which is the first choice of many connoisseurs. 

Hoa, another florist at Quang Ba flower market, said she had purchased 30 highland peach branches from Lang Son province to sell for between VND1-10 million each. City people now prefer naturally grown peach trees to those grown in gardens, she added.

The Tet holiday has several days to go and peach sellers are expecting to earn big profits from the business as the weather is warming.