​Saigonese turn to homegrown veggies for meals, Tet gifts

Spooked by unsafe greens sold at markets and supermarkets, more Saigonese are now growing their own vegetables at home for meals and giving as Tet presents.

As tainted veggies posing serious health hazards to consumers are rife on the local market, including those imported from China, a rising number of residents in the southern metropolis have removed vegetables available there from their daily menus.

They come up with a more cost-effective, fail-safe approach: growing their own veggies or getting agricultural specialists to tend to them in their rented areas or in their own gardens or terraces.

The practice also serves as an eco-friendly, rewarding pastime, provides opportunities for family get-togethers and helps growers as well as their families, particularly children, better appreciate the fruits of their labor.