Border farmers swim river to transport acacia wood in the cold

Farmers in Hanh Dich commune (Que Phong) transport glue on rafts. Photo: Tho Ba Cuong

In the cold weather below 20 degrees, farmers in the mountainous district of Que Phong still immerse themselves in the water, steering rafts of acacia wood across the river. The Nam Viec River through Chieng village, Hanh Dich commune is nearly thirty spans wide. On the other side are the acacia plantations of the villagers. There is no bridge on the river, so people mainly have to transport acacia across the river on rafts.

Mr. Ha Van Thanh, a 35-year-old farmer living in Chieng village, said: To transport a raft of acacia wood weighing about half a ton of acacia, it takes two people to row it. It takes them nearly half an hour to get a raft across the river.

A man immersed in the freezing water controls a wooden raft. Photo: Huu Vi

On the river, when it was already dark, the farmers had not finished their work. While the cold made many passersby wear warm clothes, one of the two men steering the raft had to immerse himself in the river. He swam and used all his strength to push the raft to move in the right direction.

The job of peeling acacia bark brings this woman an income of about 150,000 VND per day. Photo: Huu Vi

Meanwhile, a group of women were peeling the bark of acacia trees right next to the river. The members of the “crew” were clearly assigned tasks. The women peeled the bark and did some other chores. The men used chainsaws to cut down acacia trees, then tied them into rafts and transported them across the river.

Ms. Luong Thi Mai, resident of Kim Khe village, Chau Kim commune, traveled more than 10 km to Chieng village to work for an acacia plantation. She said that they were paid 150,000 VND per day. Although the men had to work harder, their wages were the same.

Winter is also the time when one of the two acacia logging seasons takes place in a year. Photo: Tho Ba Cuong

Rafting and pushing across the river is the main form of transporting acacia wood for the people of Hanh Dich commune. Most of the villages here live next to the Nam Viec River and a large part of the total 176 hectares of acacia in the entire Hanh Dich commune must be transported across the river when exploited.

It is currently the acacia logging season in this border commune.