Farmers in the "oasis" of Hong Lam are excitedly harvesting sedge.

(Baohatinh.vn) - Despite unfavorable weather conditions, farmers in the "oasis" of Hong Lam (Nghi Xuan commune, Ha Tinh province) have been busy harvesting sedge in recent days due to a bumper crop and high prices.

On the sedge fields, dozens of households in the "oasis" of Hong Lam set up tents and tarpaulins to harvest, split, and dry the sedge...

Starting at 3-4 a.m., people begin cutting reeds before the tide in the Lam River rises.

Ms. Ho Thi Dinh said: " My family has harvested nearly 2/7 sao (approximately 2,700 square meters ) of sedge. This year's sedge crop has yielded a fairly stable harvest, estimated at over 4-4.5 quintals per sao. However, the weather these past few days has not been sunny, and the Lam River has risen, making harvesting and drying the sedge more difficult."

Fresh sedge is put into a machine and split in half by the locals. This is a very time-consuming and labor-intensive process.

“ After the sedge stalks are split in half, they are dried in the sun for 2-3 days in the field to make the fibers lighter and softer. The people drying sedge fear rain the most because it will spoil, turn black, and become unsaleable, ” said Mr. Nguyen Van Tho.

In recent days, due to the impact of typhoon number 3, water from upstream has flowed down, causing the Lam River downstream to rise and flood the sedge fields of local farmers.

Some locals have to use boats to transport the reeds after harvesting.

According to local residents, the price of dried sedge this year is quite good, with traders buying each kilogram for 9,000 - 10,000 VND, which is 2,000 - 3,000 VND higher than the same period last year. At this price, each plot of land yields nearly 5 million VND for the farmers.

Every late afternoon, the sedge is tied into bundles and brought home to continue drying, and also sorted for sale to traders in the village. It is known that the dried sedge will be supplied to facilities in Thanh Hoa province to be used as raw material for weaving mats and producing handicrafts.

Sedge is considered the main crop for dozens of households in the "oasis" of Hong Lam. Every year, sedge is harvested from July to September. The people don't have to spend money on seeds, but to ensure the sedge grows well, they have to put in the effort of mowing the grass, investing in fertilizer, and working hard during the harvest season.

Video : Farmers in the "oasis" of Hong Lam during the sedge harvest season.

The entire Hong Lam village currently has nearly 50 hectares of sedge cultivation with 90 households participating in production. To date, farmers have harvested approximately 10% of the area. Generally, this year's sedge crop faced unfavorable weather conditions due to heavy rain, but thanks to the farmers' careful investment in cultivation, it was still a good harvest with relatively high yields. This is also the main source of income for many households in this "island" in the middle of the Lam River.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Ngoc - Head of Hong Lam village, Nghi Xuan commune

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nong-dan-oc-dao-hong-lam-phan-khoi-thu-hoach-coi-post292476.html