(VOVworld) – In recent years, farmers in Chau Thanh district, Hau Giang province, have supplied pomelos in gourd shapes to the New Year market. Chau Thanh has been famous for forming fruits into interesting shapes especially for the New Year or Tet celebration.
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Vo Trung Thanh and his gourd-pomelos with words of Prosperity, Wealth, Fortune, and Happiness
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Vo Trung Thanh was the first farmer in the Mekong Delta to produce pomelos in gourd shapes in 2009. It was a fruit of his project over several years to grow pomelos in gourd moulds. Since then the Shaping Fruit Club in Phu Tri A hamlet, Phu Tan commune, has diversified their products for Tet including prosperous gourd-pomelos, gold-bar gourd-pomelos, coin-shape gourd-pomelos, Happiness-Wealth-Longevity gourd-pomelos, and Buddhist hand pomelos.
Every year the Club supplies more than 10,000 shaped pomelos to the New Year market. Thanh said this year shaped pomelos will cost from 17 to 50 USD. “We planned to produce about 10,000 to 15,000 pomelos. But this year’s weather was unfavorable and we could only produce 2,500 prosperity-wealth pomelos and 400 prosperity-wealth calligraphy pomelos. We’ve sold out all most all pomelos and have only 200 left.”
After successfully shaping the pomelos, Vo Hong Quoc, a member of Phu Tri A hamlet’s Shaping Fruit Club, has piloted shaping peaches. “I have sold nearly all 500 of my gourd-peaches. Many customers have placed orders to take the fruits for the New Year celebration. It costs about 35 USD for one.”
Farmers in Dong Phu commune, Chau Thanh district, have also shaped water melons, papayas, and custard-apples. Farmer Tran Van Nhan said he will supply 200 pairs of watermelons in the shape of gold-bars with the words prosperity and wealth on them.
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| Papayas with the word Wealth |
Nguyễn Thị Ướm said she and some farmers have worked together to shape 1,400 papayas. Traders have bought wholesale from between 7 to 10 USD. Ms. Uom said: “The 5-fruit tray custard-apples, papayas, and mangoes. The green or yellow papayas look simple. We have shaped them and produced the words happiness, wealth, longevity, and talent with contrasting colors on them. We also have changed the green color of custard-apples to yellow.”
Chau Thanh district is rich in alluvium which is suitable for growing fruit trees. It has about 11,000 ha of land growing Nam Roi pomelos, green-skin pomelos, oranges, and seedless lemons. Nguyen Van Bay, Secretary of Chau Thanh district’s Party Committee, said farmers earn from growing fruits 10 times more than from growing rice and shaped-fruit growers earn even higher. “The district has instructed the agricultural sector to support farmers to grow shaped-fruits on their land. They will increase supplies for the New Year market.”