Thanh Chuong farmers in cassava harvest season

Huy Thu• November 9, 2022 16:02

(Baonghean.vn) - Establishing labor exchange groups to help each other harvest cassava is a good practice that is being maintained by people in some communes in Thanh Chuong district in the context of increasingly high production costs. The cassava harvest season also creates jobs for many idle agricultural workers.

In the 2022 cassava crop, Thanh Chuong district planted 2,000 hectares of cassava varieties such as KM94, CT11, NA94... These days, cassava growers in Thanh Chuong are focusing on harvesting cassava roots. The warm, sunny weather and dry land are very favorable for plowing cassava, pulling cassava roots, and transporting cassava roots for consumption. In the photo: People of Thanh Thuy commune are harvesting cassava. Photo: Huy Thu

Harvesting cassava is quite hard work, the main method of Thanh Chuong people is to use buffaloes and cows to plow both sides of the cassava rows to dig and pull out the cassava bushes easily, without breaking or blocking the tubers. Some localities plow over the entire row of cassava, the advantage is that it is fast, no need to dig or pull out, but the cassava tubers are easily broken and crushed. Photo: Huy Thu

On this occasion, cassava growers in Thanh Thuy and Thanh Ngoc communes often form labor exchange groups, each group of 5-10 people, taking turns helping each other harvest cassava for households in the group. If working all day, the family with cassava only has to worry about lunch. After harvesting, cassava is sold to traders in the field for 1,200 VND/kg, and if loaded onto a car, it is 1,600 VND/kg. Cassava growers in Thanh Thuy commune said that the selling price of cassava in the field is not high, but it is difficult to sell because there are no buyers. Photo: Huy Thu

In Thanh Thuy commune - a locality with many workers in the acacia exploitation profession, some acacia exploitation groups, during the year they often work in acacia exploitation, and during the cassava harvest season, they help each other dig and pull cassava. Mr. Bui Dang Hai (38 years old) in Thuy Phong hamlet, Thanh Thuy commune shared: In the acacia exploitation group, everyone is familiar with each other, working together for a long time, so during the cassava season, they often take a break from making acacia, help each other harvest cassava, and save money on hiring workers. Photo: Huy Thu

Ms. Le Thi An in Thuy Son hamlet, Thanh Thuy commune, said that her family grows 3 sao of cassava, and the labor exchange team of nearly 10 people worked together to harvest it in just half a day. According to Ms. An, the cost of growing 3 sao of cassava costs millions of dong, just the cost of renting a soil-crushing machine is 650,000 VND, not to mention the cost of buying NPK and potassium fertilizers, hiring weeders, hilling, etc. If we have to pay for labor to harvest, after deducting all costs, growing 3 sao of cassava will not make much profit, sometimes even a loss. In the context of high production costs, the establishment and operation of the labor exchange team is of great significance to cassava growers. Photo: Huy Thu

In Thanh Lam commune, most cassava growers sell whole cassava plants to traders in the fields. After buying the "crows", the traders will hire workers to harvest them. Previously, Thanh Lam commune had nearly ten people trading cassava tubers, but now only a few people follow the profession. Photo: Huy Thu

According to cassava growers in Thanh Lam commune, this cassava crop has lower yield and output than the previous crop, due to heavy and prolonged rains, causing cassava to rot. In low-lying areas with poor drainage, the rate of cassava rotting is even higher. Photo: Huy Thu

Mr. Nguyen Van Bay (57 years old), residing in Hamlet 3, Thanh Lam Commune, said: This cassava crop, his family planted more than 1 hectare of high-yield cassava, with an average yield of only 1.2 - 1.3 tons/sao, down about 2-3 quintals/sao compared to last year. After the harvest, he continued to plant cassava on the same area. Photo: Huy Thu

The cassava harvest season has created jobs for many workers in Thanh Lam commune. Those who pick and carry cassava earn 250,000 VND/day. Those who lead buffaloes and plows to plow cassava earn 70,000 VND per ton, and those who use buffalo carts to transport cassava in the fields earn 80,000 VND per ton... Photo: Huy Thu

Thanh Chuong is a district that grows a lot of cassava in the province, each cassava crop supplies cassava factories with 50,000 - 60,000 tons of cassava roots. Mr. Nguyen Van Thuyet (46 years old), a famous cassava trader in Thanh Lam commune, shared: Each cassava crop, he usually buys about 300 tons of cassava roots from local people, rents a car to transport them to import to cassava starch factories in and outside the district. Photo: Huy Thu

People of Thanh Lam commune harvest cassava. Video: Huy Thu