The rainy season marks the peak harvesting season for bamboo shoot growers. Young bamboo shoots sprout profusely, and daily yields steadily increase. However, the low price of fresh bamboo shoots leaves the farmers' joy incomplete. With a focus on sustainable production, bamboo growers have sought solutions to overcome these difficulties and develop their economy .
Increase production to compensate for inflation.
The family of Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh in Ward 4, Hung Long Commune, Chon Thanh Town, owns 10 hectares of bamboo planted for harvesting shoots. At the beginning of the rainy season, the shoots begin to yield abundantly. On average, his family harvests about 5 tons of fresh bamboo shoots per day, a significant increase in yield compared to the dry season. To ensure timely harvesting and sale to traders at the wholesale market in Thu Duc City (Ho Chi Minh City), every day from 5 am, Mr. Thanh's family and hired workers, wearing boots and carrying knives, head to the garden to harvest the shoots. By around 7 am, the shoots are gathered into piles for cleaning, sorting, and pricing. Afterwards, traders load the shoots onto trucks for transport to Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. Thanh said: “During the dry season, bamboo shoot production is low but the price is high, sometimes reaching 32,000 VND/kg for fresh bamboo shoots. However, currently the price is low, only 5,000 VND/kg. Even so, for me, having a daily income is happiness. My family will harvest and take care of the garden at the same time to compensate for the price drop.”
According to Mr. Thanh, during the rainy season, the soil softens, and the dissolved nutrients help the bamboo shoots grow vigorously. A single clump of bamboo can yield more than 10 shoots. To ensure the bamboo shoots are of high quality, visually appealing, firm, tender, and crispy, his family regularly fertilizes and supplements the soil with nutrients. In addition to applying organic fertilizer and well-rotted manure directly to the base of the plants, his family also spreads urea fertilizer on the surface of the soil.
In Chơn Thành town, besides newly established independent households like Mr. Thanh's family, most households growing bamboo for shoots participate in cooperatives. Mr. Nguyen Kim Thanh, Director of Thanh Tam Bamboo Shoot Cooperative, said: The cooperative currently has 20 member households, cultivating an area of about 20 hectares. The average yield of the cooperative is 500 kg/ha/day. Normally, the price of bamboo shoots gradually decreases during the rainy season. However, this year, the market is more unpredictable. Right at the beginning of the season, the price of fresh bamboo shoots dropped sharply. While at this time last year, farmers sold them for 12,000-15,000 VND/kg, now it is only about 5,000 VND/kg. The sudden drop has forced us to consider other options.
“To help members stabilize production and ensure income, the Cooperative's Board of Directors has developed a plan for drying, boiling, and pickling bamboo shoots. Many years ago, the Cooperative purchased a drying machine to produce dried bamboo shoots, with a drying capacity of 1 ton in 30 hours. The Cooperative has a workshop, warehouse, and processing facility right in the growing area, near the Thanh Tam Ward People's Committee. The drying machine has been undergoing maintenance these past few days, and the warehouse and drying yard have been cleaned and are ready for operation. If there is excess drying, member families will boil or pickle the bamboo shoots and sell them directly at Chơn Thành market and to restaurants, eateries, and industrial zones in the province,” Mr. Thanh shared.
Expanding the raw material area
Ms. Trieu My Nhung, owner of a plant seedling production facility in Ward 1, Thanh Tam Commune, and a partner of the Thanh Tam Bamboo Shoot Cooperative, said: “My family has nearly 30 years of experience in producing various types of seedlings. In recent years, bamboo seedlings have been purchased in large quantities by people in Chon Thanh and surrounding areas. In 2023, my family sold about 15,000 seedlings. This year, anticipating continued market demand, my family has produced more than 25,000 seedlings, including varieties such as the four-season bamboo, field bamboo, and six-leaf bamboo. The average selling price is 35,000 VND per seedling.”
Currently, the rapid pace of urbanization is causing the area of agricultural land in Chơn Thành town to gradually shrink. Therefore, some households have leased land to expand their cultivation area in communes in Bình Dương province, bordering Bình Phước province. Some households have expanded their area in Quang Minh and Nha Bích communes, Chơn Thành town. Mr. Trần Quang Sắc, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Quang Minh commune, shared that his family recently completed a 3-hectare bamboo planting project in Bàu Teng hamlet, Quang Minh commune. Thanks to utilizing existing infrastructure such as drilled wells, irrigation pipes, and a workshop (previously used for growing tangerines), initial costs were significantly reduced. “After leveling the land, installing the irrigation system, digging holes, and buying seedlings, with the rain coming in early June, my family hired people to plant them. The plants have now rooted and sprouted. To ensure sustainable production, my family has invested systematically, including a concrete road for convenient transportation, a convenient drainage system, a drying yard, and a spacious warehouse. My family will collaborate with the Thanh Tam Bamboo Shoot Cooperative and other businesses to market the bamboo shoots for the local people,” Mr. Sac said.
According to Mr. Sac, the model of growing bamboo for shoots has many advantages. Bamboo is easy to grow and suffers less loss than other crops. The investment in seedlings is not high. Bamboo's strength lies in its ability to grow in almost all soil conditions, especially in arid, rocky, or sandy-clay soils where other crops are difficult to grow. After one year of planting, bamboo begins to yield shoots. Importantly, bamboo is resistant to pests and diseases, and its yield and quality largely depend on fertilizer and irrigation. Therefore, by meeting these two factors well, bamboo growers will have a stable income. Currently, in Bau Teng hamlet, Quang Minh commune, besides some local households growing bamboo, there are also 5 households from Tay Ninh province who rent land to grow bamboo. The total area is estimated at about 20 hectares.
Source
![[Photo] A large number of people offer incense and visit the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Church.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/02/21/1771668099014_ndo_br_12-resize-7721-jpg.webp)
Comment (0)