Going through the forest to pick Schisandra chinensis, people have a lot of money in their pockets every day.

Schisandra is a woody vine, 3-5m long. The ripe fruit grows in clusters, ripening around September every year. People in Tu Mo Rong district ( Kon Tum ) believe that the fruit is called Schisandra because it has 5 flavors: salty, sweet, sour, spicy and bitter.

The tree usually grows in the border area between young forests and old forests. In the past, people often picked the fruit to eat, later, sold it to traders to buy as spices and medicine.

Xuyên rừng đi hái ngũ vị tử, dân rủng rỉnh bỏ túi tiền triệu mỗi ngày - 1 — Schisandra fruit season is in full swing in Tu Mo Rong district, Kon Tum (Photo: A Dung).

On the market, the products of the Schisandra tree are all of natural origin. The price of Schisandra fruit is usually stable at 10,000-15,000 VND/kg. Each year, Schisandra bears fruit once, so Kon Tum people take advantage of the opportunity to pick and sell.

People often gather in groups of about 5-7 people to walk through the forest to search for Schisandra, with some rudimentary tools such as knives.

Xuyên rừng đi hái ngũ vị tử, dân rủng rỉnh bỏ túi tiền triệu mỗi ngày - 2 — Schisandra chinensis grows in the border area between young and old forests (Photo: A Dung).

Ms. Y Dien (Dak Na commune, Tu Mo Rong district) said: "In early September, my family and villagers often go into the forest to find wolfberry fruit. In the past, there were many fruits, so each trip to pick fruit brought a large basket. Later, people had to go deep into the forest to search.

If I come across large trees, I can collect 100kg. Traders are buying them for 10,000-12,000 VND/kg. At this price, my family can earn from 500,000 VND to a million VND per day. Picking wolfberry is not too difficult, only when I come across tall trees do I have to climb them," Ms. Dien confided.

Xuyên rừng đi hái ngũ vị tử, dân rủng rỉnh bỏ túi tiền triệu mỗi ngày - 3 — Every day, people pocket up to millions of dong from picking wolfberry in the forest (Photo: A Dung).

Every day, Ms. Y Gia Nhi (owner of Y Gia Nhi Medicinal Herbs Shop, Dak Na Commune) buys several hundred kilograms of Schisandra fruit. Then, she will resell it to establishments and cooperatives that process spices and medicines from this fruit.

She also saves a portion to make drinks to serve locals and tourists .

On holidays, Mr. A Dung, Vice Chairman of Dak Na Commune People's Committee, and the locals go into the forest to find Schisandra fruit to earn extra income and make drinks and medicinal herbs for his family.

Mr. Dung confided: "I am a local so I understand the benefits of Schisandra fruit. In my free time, I often go to the forest with the locals to pick fruit, picking 25kg each day.

Xuyên rừng đi hái ngũ vị tử, dân rủng rỉnh bỏ túi tiền triệu mỗi ngày - 4 — Mr. A Dung, Vice Chairman of Dak Na commune, and local people went to pick Schisandra fruit and guided people to harvest and protect sustainable resources from the forest (Photo: A Dung).

Mr. Dung went with the locals to pick the fruit, and also instructed them on how to harvest it, along with managing and protecting the Schisandra tree and the forest; and coordinated with the local government to build a brand for the Schisandra tree. Thereby, helping the locals to have more income from this secondary forest product.

Thai Nam

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