Although the Lunar New Year (Tet) is still over a month away, kumquat farmers in Trieu Son District, Thanh Hoa Province, have reported a surge in early purchases by traders. Many gardens are already sold out.

Trieu Son District, known as the kumquat farming hub of Thanh Hoa, spans nearly 50 hectares. The main growing areas are in Hop Ly, Hop Tien, Trieu Thanh, Van Son, and Tho Tan communes.

Farmers noted that in previous years, they would be focused on maintaining and pruning their trees during this period. However, starting in late October this year, traders have flocked to the area, placing deposits and purchasing in bulk.

Gardens sold out weeks ahead of schedule

Le Thanh The, a farmer in Thon 3, Hop Tien Commune, shared that his family owns a 3-sao (approximately 0.1 hectares) kumquat garden with 600 trees.

"Last year at this time, I hadn’t sold a single tree," said The. "This year, we’ve already sold over 500 trees, most of them within a week of late October."

He attributed the early and high demand to the trees’ attractive appearance, abundant fruit, and a poor harvest in other regions due to flooding.

"We’ve made around 500 million VND ($21,000) from our sales this year," The added, noting that prices have risen because of the high-quality yield.

Le Minh Tuan, another farmer, has sold over 700 of his 800 kumquat trees. One trader even bought 300 trees in a single order.

"Typically, kumquat trees fetch higher prices closer to Tet," Tuan explained. "We plan to reserve 100 trees for retail sales later. Overall, we expect to earn 700 million VND ($29,400) this season, with about half of that being profit after expenses."

Demand-driven market forces

Le Minh Son, a trader from Thanh Hoa City, shared that this year’s competition among buyers has been unusually fierce.

"In previous years, I would only scout for trees at this time. But this year, I had to place a deposit on 200 trees a month ago to secure my stock," Son said. "Demand is so high that another trader has already approached me to buy my lot."

According to local officials, kumquat farming covers nearly 50 hectares in Triệu Sơn. This year’s favorable weather and high demand have left most farmers in the region satisfied, with many already nearly sold out.

Le Duong