Efforts to preserve and develop Tuyet Diem salt village

Tuyet Diem salt production village (Song Cau town) is closely linked to the lives of coastal people and the development process of Phu Yen province. Photo: NGOC HAN

Values ​​and challenges

Tuyet Diem salt production has a history of more than 300 years of formation and development in Xuan Binh commune. During the French colonial period, the salt here was so valuable that the authorities built a warehouse in the middle of the field and assigned staff to take turns guarding it day and night. Salt was so expensive that the salt farmers in the village had a saying: "Cu Mong salt costs thirty dong per grain" to reflect the high value of Tuyet Diem salt at that time and the name Tuyet Diem came from the fact that people wanted to describe the salt as pure as snow, firm grains, rich salty taste without bitterness, different from other places.

According to Mr. Tran Nguyen Vu, Vice Chairman of Xuan Binh Commune People's Committee, salt making is a traditional profession that has been associated with local people for generations, but in reality, salt production is currently facing many difficulties. Because the production method is still mainly manual and depends on weather conditions, the economic efficiency of salt making is not really high.

“Currently, salt farmers are applying traditional dispersed water-drying salt production and salt production using water-drying technology on a canvas-covered crystallization cell. The salt products produced are mainly raw salt, there are no deeply processed products from salt, so although Tuyet Diem craft village has been recognized as a traditional craft village in 2022 and is included in the province's community tourism development plan for the period 2024-2025, there has not been any specific project integrating technology application, product diversification, and community tourism implemented locally,” Mr. Vu expressed.

Ms. Dang Thi Kim Sang, a salt farmer in Tuyet Diem village, shared: My family has been involved in salt making for three generations, and our joys and sorrows all come from the salt grains. Currently, the village has about 350 households participating in production. Although they are not rich, their lives are stable. The average income per capita is only about 10 million VND/crop, but people still try to stick with the profession.

Mr. Tran Duc Hanh, representative of Tuyet Diem salt production village, said: We, the salt farmers, want to make salt not only to solve the problem of employment but also to preserve traditional culture to enhance the value of products and the position of the salt industry. Therefore, from the model of supporting the application of high technology in the production of salt spread on canvas, up to now, households have expanded the area of ​​salt spread on canvas to more than 22 hectares with 3 salt products that have achieved 3-star OCOP certification.

Recreating a traditional handmade salt mine made of clay and bricks - a model that helps visitors understand the process of crystallizing pure white salt grains of Tuyet Diem people at the Hanoi Old Quarter Heritage Information Center. Photo: Contributor

Opening up development direction for salt industry

Mr. Phan Xuan Hanh, Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association, said: Salt farmers have long had to work directly under the hot sun, walking barefoot on hot fields, carrying seawater, drying, raking, and transporting salt by human power without any technology to support production and processing. In addition, climate change is making production conditions increasingly unfavorable. Salt crystallization depends on the weather, so storms, monsoons, or high humidity all reduce output and cause losses during the season. Abnormal temperature increases also affect the evaporation process, thereby reducing the quality of salt...

Faced with this situation, the Provincial Farmers' Association is proposing a Project to enhance the value and diversify Tuyet Diem salt products with the support of the Global Environment Facility and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). That is to take people as the center, promote the role of self-management, autonomy, and community connection; combine cultural preservation and innovation; link production with consumption, tourism and local value chains - OCOP - green livelihood.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, UNDP National Coordinator, Tuyet Diem salt has been selected as one of three salt projects supported by UNDP; and is also one of 250 typical projects nationwide under the program of conservation, adaptation to climate change, tourism development, improving people's livelihoods and waste management.

“Through field surveys and direct exchanges and discussions with representatives of the craft village community, I acknowledge and appreciate the contents that the Provincial Farmers’ Association has proposed in this project. Tuyet Diem salt production village will be the unit that directly receives and implements activities to preserve traditional craft villages and connect with community tourism,” Ms. Huyen assessed.

Recently, at the Hanoi Old Quarter Heritage Information Center, an event was held to launch the Tuyet Diem salt product display space. The program was jointly organized by the Provincial Farmers' Association, Song Cau Town People's Committee, Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Street Management Board, and Dai Huu Travel Company Limited. At the event, the display space introduced many product lines from Tuyet Diem salt, including: traditional salt, granulated salt; health salt; spiritual salt; salt coffee and gift combos associated with Phu Yen cultural tourism. In particular, the traditional salt cellar space with clay brick kilns was realistically recreated, creating a strong impression of the intricacy of the salt making profession.

Mr. Phan Xuan Hanh, Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association

Through consultation and soliciting opinions from departments and branches on the project idea, most units were in high agreement; at the same time, they contributed many more opinions in the direction of integrating livelihoods, technology, culture, community tourism... so that the Provincial Farmers' Association could complete the proposed project. Mr. Nguyen Hai Trieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said: In the coming time, the department will coordinate with local authorities to implement a number of trade promotion solutions. Specifically, supporting the building of the Song Cau clean salt brand, connecting with salt purchasing and processing enterprises to create a sustainable value chain; promoting products through trade fairs, e-commerce platforms and digital media...

According to the Provincial Farmers' Association, the overall goal of the project is to contribute to improving sustainable livelihoods and climate change adaptation for the Tuyet Diem salt farming community through the application of appropriate technology, development of value-added salt products, preservation of traditional craft villages and integration with community tourism.

“We hope to turn Tuyet Diem salt into a model of sustainable rural tourism, both preserving the ecological environment and investing in upgrading infrastructure such as water channels, reception areas, environmental sanitation systems, creating trust for domestic and foreign tourists…”, Mr. Phan Xuan Hanh affirmed and added: Recently, at the Hanoi Old Quarter Heritage Information Center, an event was held to launch the Tuyet Diem salt product display space. The program was jointly organized by the Provincial Farmers' Association, Song Cau Town People's Committee, Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Street Management Board, and Dai Huu Travel Company Limited. At the event, the display space introduced many product lines from Tuyet Diem salt, including: traditional salt, granulated salt; health salt; spiritual salt; salt coffee and gift combos associated with Phu Yen cultural tourism. In particular, the traditional salt cellar space with clay brick kilns was realistically recreated, creating a strong impression of the intricacy of the salt making profession.

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/kinh-te/202504/no-luc-bao-ton-va-phat-trien-lang-nghe-muoi-tuyet-diem-b8c1360/