(Baonghean.vn) - These days, farmers in the communes of Hung Nhan, Hung Chau, Hung Loi... in Hung Nguyen district are in the season of catching earthworms. At night, the fields along the Lam River are glittering with lights, creating a strangely cheerful and bustling atmosphere.
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| From September to November of the lunar calendar is the season of catching worms for Hung Nguyen people. Every month there are 2 periods of catching worms, each period lasts about 3-4 days. At night, it is more fun in the fields than at home. Everywhere, flashlights twinkle like stars. Hung Nhan is one of the communes with the most worms in Hung Nguyen. |
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| When the tide has reached its peak in the field of earthworms, people bring nets, buckets, basins, and nets to the field to catch earthworms. In the photo, people in Hamlet 1, Hung Nhan Commune, go to the field to catch earthworms at 1 a.m. |
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| In the past, when the earthworms were not yet “valuable”, people went to catch them freely. Now, each family’s field is caught by its own family. The nets can be set up in advance, and when the river water rises into the fields, all you have to do is cover the nets to keep the earthworms from escaping. |
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| If the field has a low corner for drainage, you can use a net to catch the worms. The method of catching worms using a net was invented about ten years ago and is the method of catching worms that requires the least effort. |
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| After spreading the net, the owner just needs to sit on the bank and wait for the water to come out, the worms will follow the water and get into the net. |
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| During the season of abundant earthworms, after only 10-15 minutes people open the trap to dump out the earthworms, each time they usually get 1-2 kg. |
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| If a family's field does not have a dike, they must wear a flashlight and hold a net to collect the worms in the field. This is the most laborious way. Not only do they have to stay up all night, but most of the work must be done on rainy, cold, windy days. |
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| The whole family watches the tide rise and fall to catch earthworms. |
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| Many children also stay up all night to catch worms with their families. Their main tasks are to guard the worms, collect the worms, and prevent theft. |
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| After dumping the worms, people often immediately remove fish, crabs, and trash under flashlights. |
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| Then, the worms are poured into a plastic basket with thin mesh, so that the worms can crawl down into the bucket and remove the dirt. |
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| Before dawn, everyone rolled up their nets and went home, excited about the amount of worms they had just caught. Depending on the type of field, the water level, luck, etc., the amount of “heavenly blessing” they got was more or less. If the harvest was good, the whole crop of worms could yield about 20 kg/sao. Any household that had a good harvest could earn several hundred kilograms of worms each year. |
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| During the season of rươi, traders often appear right in the fields to buy rươi for farmers. In recent years, rươi has been a hot commodity, supply cannot meet demand, prices fluctuate from 450,000 - 500,000 VND/kg. Rươi is bringing joy to farmers in many riverside communes in Hung Nguyen. |
Huy Thu
