(Baonghean.vn) - U market (Dai Son commune, Do Luong) is one of the largest buffalo and cattle trading places in the country. Held regularly 6 times a month, the market has created jobs for hundreds of households, including those who work as herders.rentcattle
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| The U market was established in the 60s of the last century and developed rapidly. During peak years, thousands of buffaloes and cows at this market were sold everywhere, even exported abroad. |
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| U market is held 6 times a month, on the 1st, 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st, 26th of the lunar calendar. The market creates jobs for hundreds of households in Dai Son commune as well as neighboring localities, including a large group of people who specialize in working as hired cattle herders. |
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| The market takes place from around 4am to around 10am. Dozens of buffalo herders have been present at the market since early morning. Depending on the distance, each buffalo is paid a certain amount by the traders. |
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| Among the team of hired cow herders, there are quite a few children in the area. "There are cows that are very difficult to herd. My family is poor so I work to earn extra income to help my family," said Nguyen Lam Chien (13 years old). On a lucky day, Chien can earn about 50,000 VND from this job. |
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| Hoang Vinh Anh (13 years old) said that at nearly 4am, he and his friends from Nghi Van commune (Nghi Loc district) were already at the market waiting for traders to hire them, some even arrived the night before. Among the more than a dozen children working as cattle herders at U market, some took advantage of the trip to take a shower in time to go to school in the morning, but some also skipped school to earn extra income to help their families. |
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The wages for each cow or buffalo, regardless of size, are the same. In the local area, it is 5,000 VND, and in other communes, it is several tens of thousands of VND. In recent years, many homemade vehicles and even small trucks have joined the cow transport, making it difficult for the cow herders at U market to find work. |
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| Trucks transport cattle quickly and conveniently. Therefore, currently, hired cattle herders only have a job when traders need to take cattle to nearby locations or herd them while waiting for trucks to pick them up. "Before, many children dropped out of school to go to U market to herd cattle for hire, but the government has been propagandizing and persuading each house to let them continue going to school. Currently, at U market, there are only about 10 children from Nghi Van commune and some other localities coming to do this job, the rest are adults", said Mr. Dang Van Toan - Chairman of Dai Son commune. |
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| Each market session has about 1,200 buffaloes and cows for sale. Many traders hire people to take their buffaloes to the market to sell, but after waiting all day without any buyers, they have to hire these people to take their buffaloes back. |
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| "It sounds simple, but controlling the 'stubborn' buffaloes is not easy. There were many days when I had to lead the buffaloes for dozens of kilometers, my hands were blistered and hurt for days," said Nguyen The Thang, one of the children who works as a buffalo herder at U market. |
Chu Thanh
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