(Baonghean.vn) - On cold winter days, it is really enjoyable to enjoy a hot plate of snails with the smell of lemongrass and chili. But out there, in the deep fields, the 'divers' are having a hard time in the biting cold.
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| People often call the snail-catching job “dầm pond”, one of the most difficult jobs. All year round, regardless of rain, sun, heat, cold, people doing this job still work hard in the fields, village ponds… to make a living. In the photo: Women who are digging snails in Nam Anh commune (Nam Dan). Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Almost every locality has people who work as “dam pond diggers”, they are mainly poor women, taking advantage of the off-season to go digging for snails to earn extra income. The places where they “work” are fields, ponds, creeks, etc. They often go in groups of 2 or more to support each other in case of an accident. They only go digging for one session a day, and rest at home in the other session to “stretch” and regain strength. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| According to women in Van Dien commune (Nam Dan), the hardships of snail-catching are many, such as having to immerse themselves in pond and rice field water. In the summer, they sit in water up to their necks. In the winter, they bend over, their limbs numb in the mud. When digging for snails in the mud, they easily step on thorns, broken glass, or are chased away, cursed at, have their snails dumped, and their tools crushed. There is also a potential risk of drowning, especially for those who cannot swim. Photo: Huy Thu. |
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| Nowadays, snails in ponds and fields are mainly spiral snails, which are cheap. Each day, each person can find 7-8 kg, sometimes more. Some types of snails are not bought, but people still pick them up to feed the ducks. Photo: Huy Thu. |
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| A woman who works as a snail catcher in Nam Anh commune (Nam Dan) said: "For the past 5 or 6 years, except for the busy harvest season, whenever I have free time, I go snail catcher. I don't know what else to do, so I just go snail catcher." Photo: Huy Thu. |
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| Women in Thanh Duong commune (Thanh Chuong) often cycle to deep, flooded fields to find snails. They know every place in the village and outside the commune where there are many snails like the back of their hand. Photo: Huy Thu. |
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| After a hard day of digging, the women brought the snails home, scrubbed and cleaned them, but still worried: "Will the snails be in high demand today?" Photo: Huy Thu. |
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| The snails they earn can be imported to restaurants, wholesalers or brought to the market for 8-10 thousand VND/kg. Nowadays, with the widespread development of the network of drinking establishments from the countryside to the city, the snails they catch are easier to sell, but their income is not worth much. Therefore, those who work in the "pond-wetting" profession in the villages seem to still live in poverty. Photo: Huy Thu. |
Huy Thu
