Rustic countryside 'specialties' attract customers to the Northern market

Photo caption — People in Hong Chau ward, Hung Yen province, harvest lotus. Photo: The Duyet/VNA

These days, farmers in Hong Chau ward (Hung Yen province) are busy harvesting lotus - the only harvest of the year. After being cut from the field, lotus will be washed, trimmed, selected, tied into bundles, and sold to traders in the neighboring area. As soon as lotus is harvested, it is purchased immediately, so everyone is excited. This is also the locality with the largest cultivation area in Hung Yen province with about 150 households cultivating on an area of over 10 hectares.

Quickly selecting fresh and delicious lotus roots to sell to traders in Hanoi, Mr. Vu Van Sang (Le Nhu Ho village, Hong Chau ward) shared that his family used to cultivate rice but the fields were low and the economic efficiency was not high. After boldly switching to growing lotus roots, he saw clear efficiency in both production costs and income. Up to now, he has had 20 years of experience growing this plant with a total area of 2 hectares (1 hectare is about 3,600 m2).

According to Mr. Sang, this year, the growers of the lotus are excited because not only is there a good harvest but also a good price. The price of lotus at the beginning of the season fluctuates at 30,000 - 35,000 VND for a bundle of 10 bulbs. With stable productivity and prices, after deducting expenses, Mr. Sang can earn a profit of 6-7 million VND/sao (360 m2) of lotus, 3-5 times higher than growing rice.

According to local people, nieng, also known as corn, has the ability to grow and develop well in places with a lot of mud and water. The plant can reach a height of 1-2m. The outstanding features of nieng are the ability to branch, the plant is strong, has good endurance, suitable for the soil and climate of Hung Yen. Nieng is harvested in the right season, the best are the tubers that are still in the sheath, plump, with few black dots inside, when enjoyed, will give a much sweeter flavor. On the contrary, old nieng tubers will have a fibrous skin, reducing the crispness and sweetness as well as the characteristic delicious flavor.

Excited about the good price of the lotus, Mr. Leu Van Ban (Tan Hung commune) said that he has switched from growing rice to growing lotus for more than 10 years now. Unlike growing rice, lotus only produces one crop per year with a cultivation period lasting from 7 to 9 months. Lotus is usually planted at the beginning of the year and will be harvested around the middle of the 9th lunar month. Due to its suitability to the soil characteristics here, lotus grows and develops well, giving a more delicious and fatty quality of tubers.

In particular, growing the plant does not require worrying about the seeds. After harvesting, farmers take the roots to continue to propagate the seeds for replanting the following spring, helping to significantly reduce the initial investment cost. On the other hand, the plant is considered a clean, safe crop when no pesticides are used, protecting the soil and water environment.

Although the nieng season only lasts for about 1 to 1.5 months, it is always popular in the market. Mr. Tran Van Nam (Bac Ly commune, Ninh Binh province) said that not only does it have a delicious, unique flavor and is easy to prepare, nieng tubers also contain many nutrients that are good for health, helping to prevent atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, high blood urea... Therefore, it has become a tradition that every year around the 9th lunar month, he goes from Chan Ly commune, old Ha Nam province (now Bac Ly commune, Ninh Binh province) to Hung Yen to buy this "special" tuber.

With its economic value, the nieng tree is gradually becoming a crop that is encouraged to expand its area in Hung Yen, especially in converting ineffective rice cultivation areas. Thereby, opening up a promising direction for local agriculture from a rustic countryside plant.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/dac-san-dong-que-dan-da-hut-khach-thi-truong-mien-bac-20251031071610174.htm