Cashew picking experience

Diligently picking cashews

One morning in late April, following Mr. Phi - a farmer who has spent his whole life working in the cashew garden in Thuan Quy commune (Ham Thuan Nam district), I eagerly started a day of experiencing the work of picking cashews. It was just after 5am, the sky was still foggy, Mr. Phi had prepared a pair of gloves, a few sacks, drinking water and a few loaves of bread to fill his stomach. "To pick cashews, you have to go early, when the sun comes up, you sweat like a shower", he said, tying his shoelaces and smiling. Looking at his small figure, tanned skin and quick steps, I felt the love of a farmer over 60 years old for the garden he has been attached to since his youth.

The April sunlight in Thuan Quy is not harsh from early morning, but after 8 o'clock, the entire cashew hill seems to evaporate in the sunlight pouring down from the sky. The coastal sunlight is not as gentle as the yellow sunlight in the highlands, nor as hot as the sunlight in the plains - but is a sharp, dry, burning sunlight on the skin, like sprinkling fire on the red ground. Standing under the shade of the cashew trees, I still feel the heat rising from the ground. The wind is also lazy to blow, only the faint scent of cashew resin spreads in the silent space. That day's trip, besides me and Uncle Phi, there were two relatives in his family. The motorbike turned onto the red dirt road leading to the nearly 30-year-old cashew garden, more than 1 hectare wide, spread across the low hill. The cashew trees are tall, with wide canopies, covering the entire land below. The fresh, gentle morning air suddenly calms my heart.

Because it was my first time picking cashews, I eagerly gathered and picked them up, clumsily twisting each nut, but my heart was as excited as a child going on a trip far away. The feeling of bending down to pick up the first cashew fruit under the rustling layer of dry leaves made me feel like I had entered a completely different world - the world of soil, of trees, of simple labor, not noisy but also not hurried. But in less than 30 minutes, the initial excitement gave way to back pain, numb hands, and sweat soaked my shirt. I began to appreciate the patient pace of life that the people here have become accustomed to throughout many cashew ripening seasons. Meanwhile, Uncle Phi and everyone else continued to work steadily, moving skillfully among the dry leaves covering the ground. Every hour, a sack gradually filled up. From 5am to about 2pm, our group picked about 35kg of nuts - a remarkable achievement after nearly 10 hours of hard work under the sun.

A corner of Mr. Phi's family's cashew garden.

Keep the rules, keep the meaning

At noon, everyone sat down to rest under the old cashew tree. Sharing the bread they brought along, drinking a sip of cool water, no one complained of being tired. Uncle Phi chewed the bread and said: “This year the cashew crop was bad, but the traders paid a good price. About 35,000 - 37,000 VND/kg of fresh seeds, so picking a few dozen kilos a day is a lot better!”. I asked him if he remembered the worst cashew crop, he nodded: “3 years ago, it was too sunny, the cashews bloomed but didn’t bear fruit. Some gardens had to be sawed down. And there were also years when the cashews were good but the price dropped, and they couldn’t sell enough to buy fertilizer.” That’s why this year’s cashew crop made the people of Thuan Quy excited. Not only because of “good harvest, good price”, but also because of the optimistic spirit of survival of long-time cashew growers like Uncle Phi – despite going through many ups and downs, he was not discouraged, still considered the cashew tree as a loyal friend.

Uncle Phi collects fallen ripe cashew fruits.

According to Mr. Phi, picking cashews is not like other familiar farm work. When ripe, cashews will fall to the ground by themselves. The pickers do not use knives to cut or climb trees, but must search for each ripe fruit that has fallen, separate the seeds, and put them in a basket. Just like that, picking - gathering - twisting, repeating all morning. Cashews consist of two parts: The red-orange or bright yellow fruit (called cashew jackfruit), is juicy but easily crushed, and is often left behind. The seed - the part with economic value - is attached underneath, small and curved like a sickle. The cashew sap is sticky and causes irritation to the hands if exposed for a long time. The pickers must wear gloves or cloth lining, both to avoid scratches and to prevent blistering.

Sitting under the cashew tree, I took the opportunity to ask Uncle Phi about how to take care of the cashew garden. He smiled gently, picked up a water bottle and handed it to me, then began to tell me: “Cashew trees seem easy but are not easy. They are really drought-resistant, but if you want to have a lot of fruit and plump seeds, you have to take care of them all year round.” According to him, cashew trees bloom around the 12th lunar month, when the weather is dry. Before that, from September to October, growers have to clear weeds, spread out, and prune old and damaged branches so that the trees can concentrate nutrients for the flowering season. Then, fertilize, usually compost mixed with a little NPK. Those who can afford it also use biological products to stimulate simultaneous flowering. When the flowers bloom, if it rains, they will all be ruined. “If it rains at that time, it means a bad harvest,” said Uncle Phi. If the weather is favorable and the flowers set good fruit, then after just over 2 months, the cashews will start to fall and be ready to be picked. During harvest season, people pick up cashews quickly because cashews left in the ground for too long are susceptible to worms, mold or sprouting, losing value.

Fresh cashews have just been harvested by Uncle Phi.

Pausing for a moment, he told more about his life. Originally from Phu Quy, the couple moved to Thuan Quy commune in 1979 for a new economic zone. “At first, we just built a small hut and asked for land to grow beans and corn. Only later did we switch to growing cashews. At that time, everyone said “growing for fun” and no one believed that cashew trees could feed people.” But now, that cashew garden has raised four children who have been properly educated. Each of them has a stable job, a family, and a life of their own. “The other day, a nephew from the city came back and asked why we didn’t cut down the cashew trees and plant dragon fruit or Australian mangoes, which would bring in higher income. But I said, not everything can be changed. This cashew tree is like our grandparents, it has love and affection, it will be kept no matter what.” His story left me speechless. In an era of chasing productivity and efficiency, there are still people who choose to be loyal to cashew trees. Perhaps that's why Thuan Quy products are sweet, durable and will always be the source of life for many people.

In the afternoon, Uncle Phi carried the bags of cashews back to weigh for the familiar traders. After weighing, he rubbed his hands, his eyes shining. “About 1.2 million VND, my dear. Minus some money for drinks, today is considered a win!”. I smiled along with his joy, feeling my heart filled with love. When I returned home that night, I still remembered the smell of cashew resin on my hands, and Uncle Phi’s hearty laughter in the hot midday sun. I understood that after each cashew season, there were not only full bags of nuts, but also the thrift, patience, and hope nurtured by the simple people in the windy and sandy countryside.

And in a very quiet moment, I suddenly realized: Sometimes, to understand a land, just bending down to pick up a fallen cashew fruit - is enough.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/trai-nghiem-nghe-hai-dieu-130049.html