The ups and downs of the lime industry in Hoa Dien.

The traditional lime-making craft in Hoa Dien commune is gradually disappearing, with many establishments closing down and switching to other professions.

Workers at lime production facility 79. Photo: THUY TRANG

A time of prosperity

According to lime producers in Hoa Dien, the traditional lime-making craft has existed for a long time. Many local people utilize the readily available limestone resources to produce quicklime. Hoa Dien lime is renowned for its high purity, whiteness, fineness, and quality, making it highly sought after by traders. The lime product is widely used in many industries and professions, such as: treating domestic water, environmental treatment in aquaculture; and as a building material. Due to the increasing demand for lime in production, many lime kilns have sprung up to capitalize on the opportunity.

Mr. Do Van Thanh, residing in Lung Lon hamlet, Hoa Dien commune, still vividly remembers the heyday of lime production in Hoa Dien, which was in the 2000s. He moved to Hoa Dien with his parents to open a lime kiln. Mr. Thanh said: “At that time, dozens of spontaneously established lime kilns sprang up in Hoa Dien. Along both sides of the road, the kilns were packed together, limestone piled high, the kilns always blazing, and workers bustling about. Thanks to a few years of working in the lime industry, my family's economy improved, and we had enough capital to open two or three more kilns.”

Lime making is also the main livelihood for many poor laborers in Hoa Dien commune. Ms. Le Thi Loi, residing in Kien Thanh hamlet, Hoa Dien commune, who has been working in lime making for 10 years, said: “Previously, the kiln owner had a stable supply of raw materials and operated continuously. Women were hired to shovel lime into bags, while men did heavier work such as loading stones onto the kiln. I earned between 200,000 and 250,000 VND per day.”

Today it's closed and quiet.

The lime-making industry in Hoa Dien is gradually shrinking. Many lime kilns are operating inefficiently, incurring losses, leading to bankruptcy, and have to close down, shifting to other occupations such as farming, livestock breeding, and aquaculture. According to statistics from the People's Committee of Hoa Dien commune, there used to be nearly 90 lime kilns in the commune, but now only about 10 remain in operation.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Hoa Dien Commune People's Committee, said that most lime kilns in Hoa Dien are spontaneously opened by residents without permits from the local government. The production technology is outdated, mainly using traditional manual methods of burning coal, resulting in the release of a large amount of smoke and dust into the environment, affecting the lives of households in the commune. Although the facilities use netting and water to suppress dust during production, pollution persists.

Besides environmental pollution, the main reason for the decline of the lime-making industry in Hoa Dien is the lack of limestone raw materials. Since the State licensed several enterprises to mine limestone for the production of construction materials and cement, the local limestone source has disappeared. Lime kiln owners have to buy raw materials from other provinces, which increases production costs. In addition, the main fuel for lime burning, coal, is quite expensive, making production very difficult.

Once one of the largest lime production facilities in Hoa Dien commune, producing several hundred tons per month, the lime production facility of Mr. Do Van Thanh, residing in Lung Lon hamlet, now only maintains minimal production, yielding about a few dozen tons per month. Mr. Thanh stated: “About 4-5 years ago, lime production provided a decent income, but now it's very unstable. Limestone raw materials are scarce; even if we can buy some, the price is around 330,000 VND/ ^m³ , four times higher than in other provinces, making lime from Hoa Dien difficult to compete with similar products from facilities outside the province.”

Mr. Doan Van Hoai, owner of a lime kiln in Hoa Dien, expressed his concerns: “Traditional lime kilns struggle to compete with large enterprises and production facilities due to outdated technology. With manual production methods, burning coal in batches, the capacity is low and costs are high. I would like to invest in upgrading to electric kilns, but the cost would be billions of dong, which I cannot afford. Because it's a long-standing family tradition, I'm trying to maintain production.”

Mr. Nguyen Huu Thanh further stated that, due to environmental pollution from traditional lime kilns, the local government has issued a policy against expanding and developing the traditional lime-making industry. For lime kilns still in operation, the commune People's Committee requires kiln owners and production facilities to address the issue of smoke and dust emissions to minimize environmental pollution. At the same time, the commune encourages inefficient lime kilns to switch to other occupations. The commune People's Committee coordinates with relevant departments to provide vocational training and job placement services for workers from closed lime kilns to help them stabilize their lives.

THUY TRANG

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/thang-tram-nghe-voi-hoa-dien-a425831.html