Developing sedge mat weaving in Quang Xuong

The sedge mat weaving profession is developing in the communes of Quang Phuc, Quang Truong, Quang Ngoc, Quang Long, Quang Van and Quang Khe (Quang Xuong), creating jobs for thousands of workers, with income ranging from 3 to 7 million VND/person/month.

Dung Chau Company Limited in Quang Truong Commune creates jobs for local workers.

The sedge mat production facility of Mr. Nguyen Van Thang's family in Ngoc Binh village, Quang Phuc commune is currently creating jobs for 40 workers with an income ranging from 4 to 6 million VND/person/month. Mr. Thang said: Previously, the family's sedge mat weaving was done entirely by hand, so the productivity and income value were not much. In 2006, the family boldly invested 600 million VND to buy 3 mat weaving machines, 3 cover machines, and a stringing machine to expand production. Since using the mat weaving machine, production has been carried out on an assembly line, each mat woven by machine only takes about 20 minutes, dozens of times shorter than traditional hand weaving. Due to the obvious efficiency of machine weaving, the family invests in buying new machines every year. Currently, the family has 20 mat weaving machines. On average, one machine uses 2 regular workers, with a capacity of about 50 pairs of mats/day, after deducting expenses, bringing in an income of 50 million VND/month.

The entire Quang Phuc commune currently has 1,650 households participating in the craft, concentrated in 5/6 villages: Ngoc Binh, Van Giao, Ngoc Doi, Ngoc Nhi and Lien Son. Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Phuc commune Hoang Van Thi said: The craft of weaving sedge mats in the commune has existed for a long time. Many households have boldly invested, purchased machinery, improved productivity and product quality, to meet market demand. Thanks to that, Quang Phuc sedge mats have been present in many provinces and cities across the country. The amount of sedge mats consumed not only helps households earn hundreds of millions of VND/year but also creates jobs and income for 3,650 workers in the commune, with an additional income of 5.5 to 7.5 million VND/person/month.

In addition, with an area of 367.85 hectares of sedge land, people in the commune have applied science and technology to intensive farming, bringing sedge productivity to about 16 tons/ha, after deducting costs, bringing income from 160 to 170 million VND/ha/year, many times higher than rice cultivation.

Quang Truong Commune currently has 80 households involved in the sedge mat making industry. To ensure the source of raw materials for households producing sedge mats, the commune has mobilized people to convert low-yield rice fields to sedge; and implemented land consolidation to intensively cultivate sedge. Up to now, the commune has planned nearly 10 hectares of sedge land. In addition, the commune has also assigned organizations to act as bank guarantees, creating conditions for households to access capital sources to invest in buying machinery and expanding production scale.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Truong Commune, Truong Ngoc Cuong, said: The commune has developed 120 mat weaving machines, creating regular jobs for more than 400 local workers, with income ranging from 3 to 7 million VND/person/month. To create a brand and expand the consumer market, many households have switched to making high-quality mats such as color-printed mats, printed mats, and mats made to order.

Mr. Pham Van Dung in Chau Son village established a business in 2019, named Dung Chau Company Limited. The business invested in buying 20 weaving machines, creating jobs for 30 workers on-site and 20 part-time workers at home. In addition to providing workers with an income ranging from 5 to 15 million VND/person/month, the company's annual profit is nearly 1 billion VND.

To serve the mat weaving industry, the whole district has planned a 550ha sedge growing area concentrated in the communes of Quang Phuc, Quang Truong, Quang Khe, Quang Long... with an output of nearly 7,000 tons of sedge/year. To improve the efficiency of sedge growing and processing, in recent years, Quang Xuong district has had many incentive mechanisms, motivating and creating conditions for households with passion for the profession to borrow capital, invest in buying weaving machines, expand production, create jobs and stable income for many workers.

Article and photos: Minh Ly

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