[ti:Flower Farms See Lunar New Year Sales Decrease Because of Virus]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]更多听力请访问21VOA.COM
[00:00.04]The Lunar New Year holiday is usually a busy time for flower farms in Hong Kong.
[00:08.44]The farms prepare to sell plum blossoms, orchids
[00:12.64]and daffodils at flower markets during the cheerful season.
[00:18.88]But the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions
[00:22.40]on such markets this year has affected many farms.
[00:28.20]Farmers worry that they may be left with an oversupply of flowers.
[00:35.52]Lunar New Year fairs – known as “flower markets” in Cantonese
[00:41.32]– are usually held before the holidays.
[00:45.80]Thousands of flower sellers and goods dealers sell their products to the public.
[00:54.12]This year, the Hong Kong government will place restrictions on such markets.
[01:00.72]They will only be permitted to operate
[01:03.56]with half the usual number of people
[01:06.32]and must shorten their business hours.
[01:10.84]The policy concerns farm owners like Yeung Siu-lung.
[01:16.36]He runs one of Hong Kong’s largest orchid farms.
[01:21.76]He had grown over 30,000 pots of orchids
[01:25.88]in 10 greenhouses in Hong Kong’s rural New Territories area
[01:31.52]to prepare for the Lunar New Year holiday.
[01:36.24]Yeung had first planned to have 16 selling spaces in flower markets.
[01:43.96]Now, he is planning other ways to sell his supply of orchids,
[01:49.04]including selling them online or urging buyers to visit the farms directly.
[01:57.24]Lunar New Year traditionally brings an increase in sales
[02:01.96]for some businesses in Hong Kong.
[02:05.92]There is usually a big seasonal sale of goods
[02:10.04]such as holiday foods, gifts and home decorations,
[02:15.24]which often include flowers.
[02:19.24]Flower farms like Yeung’s usually make about 50 percent of their profits
[02:24.80]from the Lunar New Year season alone, says business expert Francis Lun.
[02:32.64]Pinky Chan is one of Yeung’s customers
[02:35.60]who drove an hour to his farm to buy orchids.
[02:40.72]Chan thought it was still important
[02:43.24]to create a cheerful atmosphere during difficult times.
[02:48.56]“We Chinese people feel happier
[02:51.20]if our homes are filled with red and green
[02:54.16]during the Lunar New Year,” Chan said.
[02:58.24]“Because of the pandemic, we are all not very happy,
[03:02.32]we are not able to meet with our families.
[03:05.52]So I hope buying a pot of flowers for my parents
[03:09.80]can make them feel a bit happier.”
[03:13.44]I’m Jonathan Evans. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM