Vietnam flower village hit by rumors of cancer-causing chemical

Most villagers in Cai Mon Commune, Cho Lach District earn a livelihood by growing great bougainvillea, scientifically known as Bougainvillea spectabilis or ‘paper flower’ in Vietnamese.

However, their business has been adversely affected over rumors that one of the chemicals they use to tend to the crop can cause cancer.

Paper flowers are grown in Cho Lach District, Ben Tre Province

“Such rumors are ungrounded and harmful,” head of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said on December 1.

According to Dr. Liem, the rumored chemical is a solution containing Triacontanol, a natural plant growth regulator.

The chemical is extracted from various plants by the Department of Applied Biotechnology of the Can Tho University and has been available for sale over the past five years to prevent petal abscission.

Dr. Liem asserted that the chemical is harmless to human and it has been approved by relevant state’s agencies.

“The groundless rumors just aim to drive down the price of great bougainvillea this year,” Liem said.

A farmer is taking care of the plant in Cho Lach.

Many Vietnamese would buy great bougainvillea to decorate their houses to prepare for the Lunar New Year, or Tet.

Unlike this time last year, sales of the flower were slow as people were affected by the rumors, Liem said.

Nguyen Van Tan, a farmer in Cho Lach, said he was able to sell a few thousands pots of the flower at this time last year, but his current sales are fewer than 1,000.

Tan said farmers like him have invested several hundred millions of dong on their crops, but the rumors have taken their customers away. (VND100 million = US$4,400).

Some even had to save the flowers at a loss, asking for VND300,000 (US$13) a pot, only a half of the cost price, according to a local trader named Tran Van Hau.