Side job during off-season farming

The profession of selecting crayfish provides a stable income. Photo: TIEU DIEN

"Follow-up" job with stable income

In recent years, the giant freshwater prawn farming model has developed strongly, the area of prawn farming in Vinh Tuy and Vinh Thuan communes is increasing. Giant freshwater prawns create more jobs for idle farm workers. Some "follow-on" jobs such as prawn harvesting, prawn sorting, food transport, prawn tank rental... bring in a good income. Mr. Ngo Hoang Tu's family, residing in Phuoc An hamlet, Vinh Tuy commune, has little land for production, mainly doing pineapple farming. For many years, he has been involved in the job of selecting giant freshwater prawns. Mr. Tu said: "In the months when I am not busy farming pineapples, I go to pick prawns for hire. Any month, I earn at least 5 million VND, at most 8-9 million VND. This job can be done all year round, is not too hard, and brings in a stable income to help me improve my family's economy ."

Some farming households in Vinh Tuy commune have formed teams of 10-30 people to harvest shrimp for hire, both men and women, of all ages. Ms. Huynh Thi My Huyen confided: "When we are not busy with farming, if the shrimp field owner requests, my husband and I go with everyone to harvest shrimp. I am in charge of selecting shrimp, my husband wades through the fields to catch shrimp. Every day, we work from early morning to noon and earn a few hundred thousand dong more." Ms. Huyen's family also rents out tanks to hold crayfish, run oxygen tanks for shrimp, and help select shrimp. When the local crayfish harvest season is at its peak, her family earns from 300,000 VND to 1.8 million VND per day, depending on the field. The rental fee is calculated based on the number of crayfish harvested by the field owner, at 1,000 VND/kg, thanks to which her family's life is increasingly prosperous.

Ms. Hua Thi Ven weaves water hyacinth to earn extra income during her free time. Photo: TIEU DIEN

Take advantage of available materials

Water hyacinth is known as a raw material for weaving handicrafts. Seeing the economic benefits, many households along the Cai Lon riverbank take advantage of the riverbank in front of their houses to raise water hyacinth. Besides selling dried water hyacinth, many households in Vinh Tuy commune also take advantage of the available natural water hyacinth to weave beautiful handicrafts.

On a boat with an umbrella attached to it, Nguyen Van Diem and his wife, residing in Phuoc Tho hamlet, Go Quao commune, weave through the water hyacinth that stretches along the banks of the Cai Lon river to cut water hyacinth. This has been their side job for the past 5 years to earn extra income. Diem shared: “In addition to growing pineapples, in our free time, my wife and I cut water hyacinth to dry and sell. Every day, we go to the river to cut water hyacinth from early morning to 1 pm, on average, 300 - 400 kg of fresh water hyacinth, dry it and sell it to traders, earning 400,000 VND/day. My wife and I work for other households to cut water hyacinth at 600 VND/kg of fresh water hyacinth, earning a few hundred thousand VND/day. Thanks to water hyacinth, my family has a relatively good income.”

In Vinh Thanh hamlet, Vinh Tuy commune, almost every house has water hyacinth in its yard. Thanks to selling water hyacinth and weaving water hyacinth baskets, many women in Vinh Thanh hamlet have a stable income of 3-5 million VND/month. Weaving water hyacinth is a light job, and everyone from the elderly to students can do it. Many women accept weaving orders according to samples, with prices ranging from 20,000-70,000 VND/product depending on the model and size. They take advantage of their family's water hyacinth resources to process at home, both earning extra income and contributing to preserving the traditional craft.

Ms. Hua Thi Ven, residing in Vinh Thanh hamlet, has been involved in the profession for many years and said: “In addition to the time spent taking care of rice fields and pineapple fields, during off-season and harvest time, my husband and I cut water hyacinth ourselves, dry them, and take home the molds to weave water hyacinth. The profession of weaving water hyacinth is not limited by time, not too hard, and can be done in our spare time. Every day, I weave 6-8 products, earning 150,000-300,000 VND, covering the cost of rice, electricity... reducing the burden of expenses. Thanks to that, in the past few years, my family's economy has been more stable, life has been much more comfortable."

Small Farm

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/nghe-tay-trai-luc-nong-nhan-a467077.html