Earning a decent income from making fish sauce.

In Lam Thuy village, Hai Hung commune, Hai Lang district, Quang Tri province, when you ask about the traditional fish sauces made by Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa (born in 1987), everyone praises them. “It’s like fate, I started making fish sauce seven years ago and have been dedicated to this profession until today. This work not only provides a decent income but also brings me joy and connects me with customers in many places,” Ms. Hoa confided.

Ms. Hoa mixes fish with various spices to ferment a new batch of fish sauce - Photo: TP

Ms. Hoa's house is located near Phuong Lang market. When we arrived, several customers were already there waiting to buy the snakehead fish sauce she had recently fermented. Ms. Nguyen Thi May, a cheerful customer, introduced: "Ms. Hoa's fish sauce is delicious and clean, so you can rest assured about the quality. It's definitely worth trying! My house is nearby, and I always come back to buy more when I run out."

At home, besides the jars of snakehead fish sauce, Ms. Hoa also makes many other types of fish sauce such as herring fish sauce, pickled eggplant fish sauce, and fermented fish paste, which are also very popular. When asked about how she got into this profession, Ms. Hoa shared: “My first job after returning to my hometown from Hue City was selling goods online. However, during this time, I realized that my hometown has very delicious fish sauces, made from locally available ingredients, but not yet widely known. So I decided to learn and start making my first jars of fish sauce.”

It is known that to achieve her current level of skill, she has experienced many failures. But the more difficult things became, the more determined she was to improve her products.

With a stable customer base built up through previous online sales, Ms. Hoa's fish sauce quickly became known and well-received by consumers. Mr. Hoang Ngoc Bao, a customer of Ms. Hoa currently living in the United States, said: “As a native of Hai Lang, I found Ms. Hoa's snakehead fish sauce very palatable. From time to time, I still ask friends and relatives to buy various types of fish sauce for me to bring over here to ease my homesickness.” Ms. Hoa said that making fish sauce isn't difficult or time-consuming, but it provides her with a relatively stable income.

Besides making fish sauce, Ms. Hoa also maintains and develops her catering business for weddings and parties for local people. This work is much more strenuous than making fish sauce, but it brings her a considerable income during peak seasons. In addition, she creates jobs and income for 2-3 local workers. On average, these economic models help Ms. Hoa save over 70 million VND per year. Despite being busy with her business, this woman still manages to find time to fully care for her small family; and actively participates in activities initiated by the Women's Union at all levels and the local authorities.

According to Nguyen Thi Hien, Vice President of the Hai Hung Commune Women's Union, Ms. Hoa is a young member who is always proactive and enthusiastic in the activities and movements implemented by women's unions at all levels. In particular, utilizing readily available local ingredients, she has created traditional dishes that are a staple on the dinner tables of many families.

“The Women's Union of Hai Hung commune has selected Ms. Hoa's economic model as a model to support its members in starting and developing businesses in 2025. Currently, the commune's women's union is developing a plan to link, support, and guide the business owner in registering trademarks for each product. At the same time, they are introducing Ms. Hoa to training courses to improve her skills and ensure food safety and hygiene during production. These efforts will help Ms. Hoa create high-quality, safe products with attractive packaging and complete product information before they reach consumers,” Ms. Hien affirmed.

Truc Phuong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/thu-nhap-kha-tu-nghe-lam-mam-189652.htm