HONG KONG (AP) — The Lunar New Year holiday is usually a busy period for flower farms in Hong Kong, which gear up to sell plum blossoms, orchids and daffodils at flower markets during the festive season. But the pandemic and restrictions on such festive markets this year has many farms worried that they may be left with an oversupply of flowers. Traditionally, Lunar New Year fairs – known as “flower markets” in Cantonese – are held before the holidays, with thousands of florists and festive goods vendors hawking their wares to the public. This year, the Hong Kong government is restricting the markets to half-capacity with shorter business hours.
