With 'double benefits', Nghe An farmers rush to 'hunt' for golden apple snails to sell to traders

Quynh Luu farmers go to the fields to hunt for golden apple snails. Photo: Viet Hung

Currently, in the rice fields of the two localities above, it is easy to see people busy catching golden apple snails to sell. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thao, in Quynh Thanh commune (Quynh Luu) said that when she saw that there were traders in the area buying golden apple snails, she took advantage of the time to go to the fields to catch snails, both to clean the fields and to have more income. There are a lot of golden apple snails, in just about 2 - 3 hours, you can catch 15 - 20 kg, go home to clean, remove the intestines and sell to traders, every day Ms. Thao earns 100,000 - 150,000 VND.

Golden apple snails breed a lot, so finding and catching them is easy. Photo: Viet Hung

Some people also take advantage of the evening to catch snails, because this is the time when snails go out to find food the most. According to people in Quynh Thanh commune, some traders buy the whole snails, but some traders require them to be processed and have their intestines removed before buying, at a price of 20,000 VND/kg (snail intestines).

Ms. Phan Thi My said: "At first, I wondered why people bought such a large quantity, but after researching, I found out that the snails were collected to be sent to processing facilities to be used as food for aquaculture in the southern provinces."

In Quynh Luu, there are dozens of households that specialize in catching golden apple snails. Photo: Viet Hung

According to a golden apple snail buyer in Quynh Thanh commune, he buys about 300-400 kg of golden apple snails with the intestines removed every day. Since his family started buying golden apple snails, many people have gone to catch them all over the district. This purchase has encouraged many workers to catch golden apple snails during the off-season to earn more income and protect their fields.

Golden apple snail intestines are purchased by traders, put in foam boxes and sent to facilities to be processed into aquaculture feed. Photo: Viet Hung

Traders also said that after being purchased, golden apple snails are transported to provinces such as Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa... to be used as food for lobsters, basa fish, red tilapia...

Collecting golden apple snails is a win-win situation, as it provides people with extra income and helps protect crops from damage by golden apple snails./.