Lychee ripening season

The longan ripening season usually falls in July and August each year when there is more rain.

For many locals, picking longan and peeling the fruit is a seasonal job. Peeling one kilogram of fresh longan earns 3,000 dong, and a quick worker can peel 30-40 kg per day. Besides providing extra income during the off-season, peeling longan is also an opportunity to meet neighbors after a busy day in the fields.

To prepare for the longan harvesting season, the owners of the processing plants start very early. They buy the longan orchards when the trees are in bloom. The owners then hire laborers to harvest the longan. This is hard work because it involves climbing trees, especially on rainy days when the trunks are slippery, so the wages are higher. On average, each longan picker is paid 250,000 VND per day.

This year's longan harvest is promising for many processing plants due to a bumper crop. Longan trees can be seen everywhere in the Dien Bien basin ; the price is only 3,000 VND/kg for fresh longan, which people harvest themselves and transport directly to the processing plants. With low prices, the average price for dried longan sold to traders at the beginning of the season is 130,000 - 140,000 VND/kg. If the selling price remains stable, this is expected to be a successful longan season.

The kiln-drying of longan is only seasonal. However, the operation of these kilns not only creates seasonal jobs for local laborers but also contributes to the consumption and enhancement of the value of the people's agricultural products.

Each basket of longan is harvested from the orchards regardless of sun or rain to ensure timely harvesting, preventing the longan from becoming waterlogged, which would affect quality, as well as causing it to fall off or spoil due to rain.

This year, the longan harvest is abundant, with prices ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 VND/kg. Locals are harvesting and transporting the longans themselves to the processing plants for sale.

The kilns that fire up to dry longan attract a large workforce of women and students who work seasonally during the agricultural off-season.

With skillful and meticulous work, the flesh of the longan is separated from the peel and seed intact.

Each woven bamboo panel is twisted together and placed into the drying oven.

The dried longan comes out of the oven, golden yellow, the result of hours spent tending the fire and turning the drying racks.

Package the products to prevent mold and spoilage while waiting for traders to purchase them.

Source: https://baodienbienphu.com.vn/tin-tuc/kinh-te/208039/mua-nhan-chin