Yellow-fleshed soft cassava, the old hunger-relief root is now popular in Thai Nguyen. We can't keep up with customer orders.

CLIP: The cassava processing process of the Do Thi Thu Ha family (Xuan Lai hamlet, Tan Kim commune, Phu Binh district, Thai Nguyen province). Clip: Kieu Hai

In 2006, Ms. Do Thi Thu Ha (Tan Kim commune, Phu Binh district, Thai Nguyen province) got married, moved to Xuan Lai hamlet as a daughter-in-law, and continued the cassava trading business of her husband's family.

After years of trading and market research, in recent years, in addition to purchasing products from farmers in Phu Binh district, Ms. Ha's family has also leased land from locals to grow about 10 acres of yellow-fleshed cassava.

The family of Ms. Do Thi Ha (Xuan Lai hamlet, Tan Kim commune, Phu Binh district, Thai Nguyen province) started trading in yellow-fleshed sticky cassava in 2011 and has been doing very well ever since. Photo: Kieu Hai

Speaking to a reporter from Dan Viet , Ms. Ha said that the yellow-fleshed cassava originates from Tien Giang province and is also known as yellow-fleshed tapioca. Outwardly, the cassava skin resembles that of regular cassava, but the inside has a light yellow flesh.

Currently, sticky yellow-fleshed cassava is a popular snack despite its higher price compared to regular cassava, due to its chewier texture and more fragrant aroma. In particular, sticky yellow-fleshed cassava doesn't leave a cloying feeling like other types of cassava.

Ms. Ha's family processes, packages, and vacuum-packs yellow-fleshed cassava products for sale on the market. Photo: Kieu Hai

Ms. Ha's family not only sells raw products, but for about a year now, due to market demand, Ms. Ha and her husband have also been processing yellow-fleshed cassava, packaging it, vacuum-sealing it, and exporting it to many markets, where it is favored by many customers.

"Customers love our products because during the preparation process, in addition to the cassava root, we also package it with pandan leaves. Or, for pre-boiled yellow-fleshed chewy cassava, we add coconut milk depending on customer requests. Therefore, when boiled, the cassava has a chewy, fragrant, nutty, and rich flavor that is very appealing. People in cities really enjoy this dish because it's convenient and easy to eat," Ms. Ha shared.

Because the volume of goods sold to distributors is relatively large, she has to hire 3-4 seasonal workers to peel and pack the produce, at a wage of about 200,000 VND per person per day. Photo: Kieu Hai

According to Ms. Ha, processing cassava is not too strenuous, but it requires a lot of time. When there are customer orders, they have to work continuously to meet delivery deadlines. Currently, her family still mainly works based on customer orders.

Currently, Ms. Ha's family's yellow-fleshed chewy cassava product is available in many provinces and cities in Northern Vietnam, with an export volume of approximately one hundred tons per year.

Raw cassava is priced between 18,000 and 20,000 VND/kg, while processed and packaged cassava ranges from 25,000 to 27,000 VND/kg. During peak seasons, Ms. Ha's family sometimes sells around 2 tons of various types of cassava to the market on a single day.

On average, the family sells over 100 tons of various types of cassava to the market each year. "To ensure the planting and harvesting of cassava, my family hires laborers at a wage of 200,000 to 400,000 VND per person per day," Ms. Ha said.

On average, Ms. Ha's family sells over 100 tons of various types of cassava to the market each year. Photo: Kieu Hai

Besides maintaining traditional business relationships, Ms. Ha also actively sells her products on social media platforms like Facebook, Zalo, and TikTok, with a relatively large volume. However, due to insufficient production to meet demand, she is unable to supply many of her family's regular customers.

To facilitate the transportation of cassava to various distributors, in 2014, Ms. Ha and her husband purchased an additional truck for transport. From then on, the volume of cassava sold increased steadily.

Currently, in addition to trading cassava, the couple has also invested in machinery to produce turmeric starch and kudzu starch, with a relatively large volume of products sold to the market, mainly through retail.

Besides selling cassava, Ms. Ha and her husband also produce turmeric starch and kudzu starch. Photo: Kieu Hai

Ms. Do Thi Ha hopes that in the future, she will receive support from various organizations in building a brand for her family's products. Photo: Kieu Hai

Sharing her long-term development plans, Ms. Ha hopes that in the future, relevant authorities will pay attention to and invest in supporting her and her husband so that they can build a brand for their family's products.

"With support and cooperation from all levels, my husband and I will establish a cooperative group and then a cooperative, thereby helping to increase the value of our products, boost production for the market, and aim to introduce our products into supermarket systems, creating more jobs for local workers," Ms. Ha expressed her wish.

Source: https://danviet.vn/cu-san-deo-ruot-vang-cu-xua-cuu-doi-nay-dang-hot-o-thai-nguyen-lam-cha-kip-don-cho-khach-20240815110551061.htm