Bamboo shoot harvesting season

In Nghe An province , from September to November, people in the highlands climb to the top of Pu Loi mountain in Tan Ky district to harvest naturally growing bamboo shoots for food or to sell for 50,000-60,000 VND/kg.

On a morning in mid-September, Mr. Vi Van Ngoan, residing in Tien Ky commune, Tan Ky district, along with five neighbors, carried baskets, knives, and sickles and walked into the mountains more than 3 km from their homes to harvest bamboo shoots. This is a seasonal job for people in the highlands of Nghe An province during the autumn and winter months.

The Pù Loi mountain peak, located in the communes of Tiên Kỳ, Đồng Văn, and Tân Hợp, covers an area of ​​approximately 300 hectares and rises more than 1,000 meters above sea level. It is home to many naturally growing loi bamboo trees. Belonging to the bamboo family, loi bamboo trees are over one meter tall, with pointed leaves, glossy bark, and stems as thick as a thumb, growing in large clumps. Locals often select young trees, strip the bark, and harvest the bamboo shoots.

The Loi tree grows on the summit of Phu Loi mountain, Tan Ky district. Photo: Hung Le

For the past three weeks, every time Mr. Ngoan went up the mountain, he always brought rice balls, food, and water to work through lunchtime. In areas with abundant bamboo shoots, the group of six would gather to pick them or use sickles to cut them close to the base, then sit there peeling the outer layer, keeping only the tender shoots 40-60 cm long. Each person harvested 10-15 kg a day.

"Bamboo shoots are a gift from nature to the summit of Pu Loi. Therefore, forest dwellers often advise each other to leave a few sprouts in each bamboo shoot patch so that the plant can grow and there will be something to harvest next season," Mr. Ngoan said.

Besides locals, some families from districts like Que Phong, Quy Hop, Nghia Dan, etc., also take advantage of the opportunity to go to Pu Loi mountain to harvest bamboo shoots. Those living nearby return home the same day, while those from further away take 2-3 days per trip, setting up huts to sleep in the forest at night.

Highlanders carry bamboo shoots home in baskets. Photo: Hung Le

Bamboo shoots are always in high demand; as soon as people come down from the mountains, traders are waiting to buy them at prices ranging from 50,000 to 60,000 VND per kilogram, depending on the type. "Every day I harvest about 10 kg, earning over 500,000 VND. A family of 2-3 members earns nearly 2 million VND per trip harvesting bamboo shoots," said Ms. Lo Thi Sen, 52 years old, residing in Dong Van commune.

Besides selling to traders, locals also keep 1-2 kg of bamboo shoots for food, processing them into various dishes such as boiled, stir-fried, pickled with garlic and chili, or pickled in spicy sour sauce... In recent years, visitors from all over the country coming to the highlands of Nghe An often seek out this specialty bamboo shoot to take home as gifts.

Despite the income, bamboo shoot gatherers face many dangers. Mount Pu Loi has many steep rocky slopes and dense bushes, making it easy for forest dwellers to fall, especially on rainy days when carrying heavy loads down the mountain; they may also be attacked by leeches, snakes, and centipedes if they don't wear protective gear.

After being peeled and cleaned, bamboo shoots can be used to prepare many dishes such as boiled, stir-fried, or pickled in spicy and sour sauce. Photo: Hung Le

Mr. Truong Cong Thach, Chairman of Tien Ky commune, said that the area of ​​bamboo shoots on Pu Loi mountain is about 100 hectares. This year, people are harvesting less bamboo shoots than before because over-harvesting has prevented the plants from growing properly. "The authorities regularly educate people that besides harvesting, they also need to protect the rare and valuable bamboo shoot genetic resources," Mr. Thach said.

At the end of August, the Department of Science and Technology of Nghe An province approved the acceptance of the project to build a model for protecting, exploiting, and processing bamboo shoots proposed by Tan Ky district. Authorities have developed a process for managing, protecting, cultivating, and replanting bamboo shoots at locations where people have already harvested them, covering an area of ​​3 hectares.

"The project's goal is to conserve the endemic bamboo species of Tan Ky, and then process it into high-quality products," said Mr. Nguyen Quy Hieu, Head of the Science Management Department, Nghe An Provincial Department of Science and Technology.

Duc Hung

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/mua-thu-hoach-mang-loi-4655099.html