As the Lunar New Year of 2026 nears, growers and traders across Dong Thap Province are grappling with a deepening shortage of seasonal workers, even as they offer daily wages of VND400,000 to VND500,000 and extend shifts late into the night.
In My Phong Flower Village, Sa Dec Flower Village and the Sa Dec Ornamental Plant Center, labor demand has surged to two or three times normal levels as orders peak. Yet gardeners say workers remain scarce. Tran Ta, an ornamental plant garden owner in Sa Dec Ward, said transport orders to other provinces have soared, forcing him to raise wages to VND500,000 per day with meals included.
Even then, there are still not enough workers. His family has to work late every night to meet deadlines, he said.
The shortage has pushed freelance earnings higher. Tran Van Tung, who waters chrysanthemums from early morning to late night, earns up to VND700,000 per day. Traders warn that labor pressure is especially acute in transport, which requires skilled handling to avoid damaging plants, and expect the shortage to persist through late December.
