Duck farming during the north wind season.

Hardship in the fields

Early in the morning, the wind rustled through the simple houses, and people huddled together on their porches, chatting about the harvest season. Passing by several canals, many people were busily pushing their small boats, herding ducks to the rice fields ready for harvest. The deeper one ventures into the Long Xuyen quadrilateral region, the more one truly understands the lives of the local people. Vast fields stretch out, houses are scattered here and there, one side a expanse of white water, the other a rice crop ready for harvest. Duck herders wade through the fields, watching their flocks peck at the scattered grains of rice.

Ducks on the dike in the Long Xuyen quadrilateral rice fields. Photo: THANH CHINH

For two months straight, 54-year-old Vo Van Thanh, residing in Vinh Gia commune, built his "ideal hut" on the dike, living and sleeping with his flock of ducks like a wandering minstrel. To date, Mr. Thanh has been involved in this arduous profession for over 30 years. Currently, he raises 4,000 laying ducks, harvesting thousands of eggs and earning millions of dong daily. During his time with his ducks, Mr. Thanh travels extensively. Whenever he hears from fellow duck farmers about a rice field being harvested, he transports his flock by truck to the location. Mr. Thanh explains that to provide his ducks with a place to graze on the rice, he rents the harvested rice from farmers for 60,000 dong per hectare. "Every season, I rent 200 hectares of harvested rice fields for the ducks to eat the rice, snails, worms, and insects. Thanks to this, the ducks lay many eggs, and my family earns a decent income," Mr. Thanh confided.

The truck carrying ducks had just passed along the dike, kicking up clouds of dust that obscured the path. We went deeper into the acidic paddy fields and met Mr. Nguyen Van Na (Tu Na), 62 years old, residing in Chau Phong commune, sitting hunched over in his duck farm. Even at his age, he remains passionate about raising free-range ducks. Hearing the ducks scurrying about by the water's edge like a flock breaking apart, Tu Na looked out at his flock of over 3,000 laying ducks.

Seeing us inquire about his duck farming business, Mr. Tư enthusiastically shared that although duck farming is hard work, it's enjoyable, especially seeing the ducks laying eggs all over the farm every morning. When duck egg prices rise, he earns 5-6 million dong per night. Thanks to this, Mr. Tư has been dedicated to free-range duck farming for decades. "I cherish my ducks because they bring me money. If I see a duck sick, I have to buy medicine and inject it immediately. Besides feeding them leftover rice in the fields, I also buy supplementary feed to help them lay bigger eggs. Every time I call out, the whole flock rushes back and cuddles around my feet. Having raised ducks for so many years, I'm fond of the work and don't want to give it up," Mr. Tư Na explained.

Dream of changing one's life

Recalling the golden age of free-range duck farming, 65-year-old Phan Van Buon, residing in Phu Lam commune, said that 20 years ago he raised 6,000 laying ducks and a herd of 10 buffaloes. During harvest season, he would herd the ducks to dry in the fields, unlike today where he has to hire people. When his own fields were harvested, Mr. Buon would transport the ducks by boat to the border fields adjacent to Cambodia for months at a time. “It was incredibly hard work! Raising ducks became a habit. Thinking about it reminds me of free-range duck farming. Every night I collected over 3,000 duck eggs, and on many lucky days I easily earned millions of dong. Sometimes, when the price of duck eggs was high, I would easily have 100 million dong in my hands,” Mr. Buon recalled.

People herd ducks into the recently harvested rice fields. Photo: THANH CHINH

According to him, duck farming is also full of hardships. To ensure high egg production, farmers must master the technique of molting the ducks three times a year, each time lasting 20 days. This means the ducks lay eggs for about 10 months each year, providing a decent income for the farmers. After three years, the farmers sell the entire flock to traders for meat, as the ducks are old and no longer lay many eggs. After that, they buy ducklings and raise them for about six months before harvesting eggs. The best part of free-range duck farming is when egg prices are high. If egg prices plummet in any given year, the farmers are devastated.

In the past, everyone in the village knew Mr. Buôn as a master of free-range duck farming. In his youth, Mr. Buôn wandered from place to place, using the dike as his shelter. At night, he would gaze at the moon and stars, listening to the croaking of frogs, and feel a deep longing for home. Years passed, and he tirelessly followed his flock of ducks, wandering far and wide. Sometimes he went to the border, and after the harvest season, when the water level rose, he would transport his ducks back to Bac Lieu and Ca Mau to feed them on leftover rice. Time flew by, and now, in his old age, Mr. Buôn has reluctantly given up free-range duck farming. “I’m old now, I can’t cling to this profession forever, young man! My children have stable jobs in Ho Chi Minh City, so I’ve given up this profession until now,” he said sadly.

Raising ducks in rice paddies rarely makes people rich. Over time, they quietly travel across the fields hoping for a stable life and a better future for their children.

THANH CHINH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/chay-vit-mua-gio-bac-a467581.html