In the middle of Lam River in Ha Tinh there is an "island", people here grow lush plants that look like weeds.

Sedge growing on the "island" in the middle of Lam River

Hong Lam village, Xuan Giang commune, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province is like a small island in the middle of Lam river, surrounded by water on all sides, it is likened to an "oasis".

The sedge growing profession on the "island", or as many people call it "oasis", Hong Lam village, Xuan Giang commune, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province has existed for decades. Photo: PV.

This land is stormy and flooded every year, only sedge can withstand the challenges of nature. Sedge growing is also the main source of income, helping hundreds of households in Hong Lam village, Xuan Giang commune, Nghi Xuan district to stay in the village.

Although it is difficult and arduous, in the agricultural production conditions of the independent "oasis", sedge is a strong crop.

Many households in Hong Lam village are still attached to the profession of growing sedge, not only to ensure their livelihood but also to protect and maintain traditional crops as a unique production practice of the river delta region.

Mr. Le Van Quang, residing in Hong Lam village, Xuan Giang commune, said: "During the harvest season, we sedge growers have to wake up early from 3 - 4 am to cut sedge to avoid the sun, then bring it home to split and dry...".

According to Mr. Le Van Quang, residing on the "island" in the middle of Lam River - Hong Lam village, Xuan Giang commune (Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province), sedge farming has a higher income than rice farming, does not require much investment but is very hard, especially in the harvesting stage. Photo: PV.

"This year, the sedge plants are growing well, the yield is increasing, the finished sedge products are also more beautiful, the selling price is higher than previous years, we are very excited. With 8 sao of sedge of the family, the yield of each sao is 5 - 6 quintals, this crop my family earned nearly 30 million VND", Mr. Quang added.

Born and raised on the "oasis" of Hong Lam, Ms. Le Thi Chau has been involved in the sedge growing profession for 40 years. Every year, she still maintains growing 5 sao of sedge, with a yield of 2.5-3.5 tons, bringing in an income of 15-20 million VND.

According to Ms. Chau, sedge is an easy plant to grow and care for, but the most difficult step is splitting the sedge for drying.

"This job requires strong people, pulling the sedge straight, so as not to lose the roots or tips. After splitting, the sedge is dried in the sun for 2-3 days until it has a beautiful color before being transported home to wait for traders to come buy. Currently, sedge is bought for 7.5 million VND/ton. The sedge is sold as soon as it is harvested, so we can rest assured that we do not have to worry about output," Ms. Chau shared.

Sedge is harvested from July to September. After each crop, people do not have to replant the plants, they just need to clean the grass and fertilize the sedge to grow young plants. Photo: PV.

When it is time to harvest sedge, people set up tents in the fields to split the sedge. Sedge only needs to be planted once and can be harvested for many years.

According to the people, sedge plants yield two harvests each year, mainly in the summer-autumn crop. To increase productivity, sedge plants are fertilized with concentrated nitrogen fertilizer from May to June, and harvest begins in July, lasting until September.

In particular, in areas that are often soaked in brackish water, sedge will produce long, shiny and harder fibers. This year, farmers are excited that sedge has a better harvest than last year. On average, each sao of sedge yields 4.5 - 5.5 quintals.

Main crops for people's main income

The entire Hong Lam village currently has over 160 households, nearly 100 households working in sedge farming with an area of ​​50 hectares out of the total 145 hectares of agricultural land of the village.

Large households grow 7-9 sao, the remaining households grow 4-5 sao. After harvesting and drying, traders will buy from 7,000 - 8,000 VND/kg (depending on the type), and sell to Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces to weave mats, carpets and other items.

Sedge is considered the main crop in the "oasis" of Hong Lam village, Xuan Giang commune, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province. Photo: PV.

Sedge in Hong Lam is favored and used by many people thanks to its unique properties and has created a brand for this "oasis" region.

Every year, people sell 400 - 500 tons of sedge. Previously, sedge had to be classified before being sold, but now traders buy it at wholesale prices, reducing the process for people.

Mr. Nguyen The Luc - Head of Hong Lam village, said: "The advantage of growing sedge is that you only need to plant it once, then take care of it, weed it, and fertilize it to grow and harvest it for many years, providing a fairly stable income, and the people here continue to develop it. This year's sedge season has both a good harvest and good prices, many households have an income of 25 - 35 million VND from sedge, which is twice as effective as growing rice.

The harvested sedge is split into small pieces and then dried. Photo: PV.

Although the sedge growing profession has existed for decades, bringing a good income to the people. However, the sedge making profession in Hong Lam village has only stopped at producing raw materials, so the product value has not been fully promoted.

Talking to PV Dan Viet, Mr. Ho Van Tien - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Xuan Giang commune, said: "To preserve this sedge growing profession, the locality has been struggling a lot so that the sedge growing profession does not only stop at producing raw materials but also processing, in order to promote the full value of the product, at that time farmers will love the profession more as well as preserve the profession left by their ancestors.

Dried and bundled sedge plants are imported by local people for markets in Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces. Photo: PV.

In the immediate future, Nghi Xuan district and Xuan Giang commune are working with businesses to encourage households to process sedge. Currently, households have been trained and instructed on how to process sedge using machines as raw materials for handicraft production facilities.

"To maintain the long-term sedge growing profession, the locality will continue to advise and propose investment in infrastructure, from roads, bridges to machinery and equipment, helping people not only stop at production but also process many products from sedge, thereby increasing the value of the crop and promoting the local traditional profession," said Mr. Ho Van Tien - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Xuan Giang commune, Nghi Xuan district (Ha Tinh province).

Source: https://danviet.vn/giua-dong-song-lam-o-ha-tinh-co-mot-hon-dao-dan-o-day-trong-thu-cay-tot-um-trong-nhu-co-dai-20240924220135517.htm