Nghe An farmers hunt for "flying shrimp" to sell in the capital to earn tens of millions of dong
(Baonghean.vn) - At this time, thousands of hectares of summer-autumn rice in Nghe An are about to ripen. In the rice fields, locusts are growing in large numbers. For those who work as locust hunters (commonly called "flying shrimp"), each crop can earn tens of millions.
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| From May to November is the time when people in Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Hoang Mai districts... enter the "flying shrimp" hunting season; the peak season is from August to September. Photo: Viet Hung. |
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| Mr. Nguyen Van Hung in Quynh Thanh commune (Quynh Luu) has been hunting locusts for many years. During the peak season, on average, Mr. Hung hunts 10-12 kg of locusts per day, earning more than 1 million VND. He said: "When the rice is about to ripen, people gather in the fields in the district to hunt locusts. The hunting time is from 6 am to 11 am, when it is easiest to catch the most locusts during the day." |
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| Nowadays, people hunt locusts mainly by making two nets attached to motorbikes and driving them around the fields. Wherever they go, locusts hiding in rice ears or on the banks of the fields are startled and fly inside. Just like that, when the nets are full of locusts, people will put them into bags. Photo: Viet Hung |
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| After hunting for locusts, people will sell them to wholesalers for 80,000 - 100,000 VND/kg. On average, each person can hunt from 10 - 20 kg/day (depending on the area). Currently, in Quynh Thanh commune, there are about 5 locust purchasing wholesalers, purchasing about 2 - 3 tons per day. Photo: Viet Hung |
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| Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh - a locust collector said that currently at the peak, there are a lot of locusts so every day she buys from 5 to 7 quintals. After purchasing, she hires 4 to 5 workers to process them by boiling them, then scooping them out, cleaning them, and packaging them or putting the live locusts in styrofoam boxes with ice; then they will be transported and imported to restaurants in Hanoi; after deducting expenses, she earns a profit of about 5 to 7 million VND/day. Photo: Viet Hung |
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| Currently, there are "flying shrimp" purchasing points in Quynh Luu, Dien Yen commune (Dien Chau), Mai Hung ward (Hoang Mai town). With the seasonal job of hunting locusts, people in Nghe An can earn tens of millions of VND/crop. This job not only increases the income of farmers but also solves the problem of locusts destroying rice. Photo: Viet Hung |
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| After buying the locusts, people can soak them in rice water for 30 minutes, then take them out, clean them, wash them and prepare them into fried dishes with lemongrass, chili and a little lemon leaves; both attractive and nutritious, they are popular with gourmets. Photo: Viet Hung |
