The bountiful season in Khe Kẹn

After the Lunar New Year, plump bamboo shoots sprout from the soil, signaling a bountiful harvest and bringing joy and hope for a prosperous year to the people of Khe Ken village, Cat Thinh commune. Bamboo shoots are considered a "gift from heaven," not only as a natural gift from the land, but also as a vital source of livelihood, sustaining generations of the Hmong people here.

Since the Lunar New Year, every morning, the people of Khe Kẹn have been busy harvesting bamboo shoots.

Bamboo shoots are entering the early season and are selling at good prices.

After half a day, each person can harvest several tens of kilograms of bamboo shoots.

The baskets were heavy, but the people were very happy.

The bamboo shoot season is not only bustling in the forests but also more vibrant at the purchasing points.

At 10 a.m., traders begin gathering to buy bamboo shoots at various collection points in the village.

Bamboo shoot prices are traded daily. Currently, bamboo shoots of the *Sặt* variety are being purchased by traders at an average price of 12,000 VND/kg, while *Vầu* bamboo shoots are priced at an average of 6,000 VND/kg.

Each kilogram of bamboo shoots represents a portion of the local people's income, contributing to family expenses and the upbringing of their children to school.

The entire Khe Kẹn village currently has over 70 hectares of various types of bamboo planted, bringing in an average income of over 30 million VND per harvest for the people; some households even achieve revenues of hundreds of millions of VND.

On average, Khe Ken village supplies about 7 tons of bamboo shoots to the market every day. Thanks to bamboo cultivation, the poverty rate in the village has gradually decreased year by year. Currently, the entire village only has 8 poor households, accounting for 8.7%.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/mua-sung-tuc-o-khe-ken-post896272.html