Sell ​​loofah to earn billions

From handbags, hats, caps to beauty products, few people would expect that they are all made from loofah. The Thai market is familiar with these products and this is also an opportunity for Vietnamese goods to find their way.

Although he does not have the opportunity to attend the fair in Thailand, Mac Nhu Nhan (born in 1980) still hopes that his loofah products will conquer this potential market.

Mr. Nhan said that Thai people use loofah products a lot, especially for beauty purposes. Therefore, this will be the market he aims for when exporting products abroad.

“The products made from loofah are all natural, without chemicals. By approaching this market, I want to affirm that Vietnamese people can make such good products,” he said.

Loofah hats are highly appreciated by consumers.

Sharing about the plan to expand and target foreign markets with loofah products, Mr. Nhan said he will focus on the Asian market, in which Thailand is the first country he targets.

“I still want one day loofah fashion products to go beyond the ocean to reach world consumers, because loofah is still an exclusive material of Vietnam,” said Mr. Nhan.

Talking about starting a business from loofah, Mr. Nhan said that he started making products 20 years ago. After receiving good reviews, he started expanding production and selling commercially since 2011.

Fashion wallet products.

With the method of “natural fragrance”, Mr. Nhan’s loofah products have become known to consumers. The products include interior decoration, souvenirs, skin care, household items and fashion.

To make a pair of finished shoes, Mr. Nhan shared, the first step is to buy dry loofah fiber from farmers. On average, he buys it from farmers for about 5,000 VND/fruit. The loofah fiber will then be washed, dried and classified for each purpose of use to make what product.

In the next step, the loofah is cut to remove the core. The core of the loofah can be used to make flowers and decorative products; the peel is rolled out as thin as paper to continue the product modeling process.

Normally, to make a pair of shoes, it takes about 3 loofahs, and it takes 1 day. As for the hat, it takes more materials, up to 5 loofahs, and it takes longer.

Loofah rolling stage

Cut and create product samples

These products are very environmentally friendly. His products are priced from a few tens of thousands of VND, handbags cost more than 500,000 VND/piece, or shoes cost 350,000 VND/pair. Currently, thanks to expanding the market to the North, through Facebook... products made from loofah have brought in a revenue of about 600 million VND/year.

With loofah shoes, many customers are quite concerned about the practicality. Mr. Nhan said that loofah shoes are very comfortable to wear, aesthetically pleasing and especially good for health. Loofah helps massage the feet, absorb moisture, and reduce odors. However, with these products, water should be avoided.

The product is complete and ready to market.

Regarding the durability of products made from loofah, he frankly shared: "Durability depends on the user. These products cannot be compared to industrial materials in terms of durability, but they are definitely safe for health."

During this time, Mr. Nhan is focusing on building raw material sources to be more proactive in production.

According to VNN