Despite the scorching sun on the salt fields, salt farmers still cling to their trade.

Amidst the scorching summer sun of the coastal region, salt farmers in Hoa Loc commune still toil daily in the burning salt fields to make a living.

Video : Salt farmers in Hoa Loc make a living under the scorching sun.

Amidst the scorching heat, with outdoor temperatures reaching 38-39 degrees Celsius, salt farmers in Hoa Loc commune, Thanh Hoa province, continue to work under the blazing sun.

Mr. Le Van Loc, a salt farmer in Hoa Loc commune, said: "Salt making is very hard work. You have to wake up early in the morning, and you need strong sunlight to get salt, so the hotter it is, the more you have to go out to the fields to work."

The sunnier it is, the faster the salt crystallizes, ensuring a consistent yield.

Because of the harsh realities of salt production, on scorching hot days, people have to wear conical hats, long-sleeved shirts, and cover themselves completely to stay in the fields and "harvest salt."

Mr. Le Van Thuan, 72 years old, from Hoa Loc commune, shared: "Those who are new to the job often suffer from sunstroke and dizziness, but the villagers are used to it. Some days it's so hot that people become thin and weak, only having the strength to 'crawl' back home."

Having developed over approximately 300 years, salt production in Hoa Loc commune is still preserved by many salt farmers as a part of the memories and livelihoods of the coastal region. Currently, the Tam Hoa Salt Cooperative in Hoa Loc commune has two salt fields with a total area of ​​about 26 hectares, maintaining around 80 households still engaged in the profession.

Each year, farmers can only produce crops for about 6-7 months during the dry season, and have to stop completely during the rainy season.

The work is arduous and the income is unstable, so nowadays, few young people pursue this profession, leaving the salt fields to be left with only the elderly.

Making salt requires many meticulous steps, demanding strength and perseverance. The first step is preparing the ground, then shoveling the soil into a mound and pouring saltwater from a tank onto the drying area. Next, the sand must be soaked in seawater (salinity level 1), then dried on a compacted earthen surface. When dry, small salt crystals will form on each grain of sand.

Using seawater filtered through the sand will produce a saltier solution, known as salinity level 2. The sand is then dried, and the level 2 salinity water is filtered through the dried sand again to obtain level 3 salinity. After adding the soil, salt farmers will scoop water from the canal and spread it onto the soil base. The purpose is to prevent the soil from drying out and to increase the permeability of the brine.

After drying the soil, the next step is to scoop it up and filter it to extract the brine. Then, the brine from the tank is poured into the drying area. Salt farmers adjust the amount of water added to the salt drying area based on the amount of sunlight and wind direction. On intensely sunny days, the amount of water must be increased; if too little water is added, the salt will crystallize prematurely, the salt grains will not meet quality standards, and production efficiency will decrease.

Between 3 PM and 5 PM is when the seawater evaporates, leaving behind pure salt crystals on the concrete surface.

At this time, people harvest the salt and transport it back to their warehouses to store it, waiting for the day to sell it.

The salt industry is currently facing many difficulties, especially the issue of income. Salt prices have fluctuated at low levels for many years, only around 2,100 - 2,300 VND/kg.

According to Mr. Le Van Kien, Director of Tam Hoa Salt Cooperative: "For a household producing about 5 salt pans, they can harvest more than 100 kg of product per day, equivalent to more than 200,000 VND for two workers. Compared to the effort put in under the scorching sun of the salt fields, this income is considered quite low."

To prevent the salt-making craft of Hoa Loc from becoming a memory, practical support policies and new directions that are in line with the times are essential. Because as long as the salt still retains its salty taste in the hands of the salt workers, the belief in a brighter tomorrow in the salt fields will still sparkle in the sun.

Hoang Dong - Phuong Do

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nang-nung-mat-ruong-diem-dan-van-bam-nghe-288912.htm