I thought the rage over cacti and succulents was over but then we observed during a stroll in the valley a few weeks ago that some people still show huge interest in them.
Succulents and cacti were in demand in the country 5-6 years ago and greenhouses sprouted all over the region in no time when the news of a small one somewhere in another town was bought by a Japanese businessman for a few million pesos. I have no way of checking whether the story is true though.
The demand for such ornaments or plants grew even more during the pandemic (2020-2021) that even our neighbors got into the trend and set up their own. Unfortunately for them, they were not able to find buyers for their plants until they lost interest in tending to them so most of them are just left surviving on their own. Thankfully, most cacti and succulents are self-sustaining so I think they are still alive until this day.
Anyway, these photos were taken twelve days ago when visited the booths that were set up in the valley. The Golden Barrels are some of the pricey ones but some people would still buy them anyway. They were mostly in ordinary pots and were displayed in one of the huts/temporary stalls during the town's fiesta. These are actually common ones seen in most greenhouses or succulent markets.
Photos are my own. 23rd March 2023/17:25ph
