Unique - A market selling only straw!

(NAO) -This is the first time a straw market has appeared in the town of Con Market, Xuan Duong commune (Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province). A market that sells only... straw! Every morning, hundreds of people from all over flock here to sell and buy straw.

An empty plot of land approximately several hundred square meters (200m²).²Located next to Con Market, this place is exclusively for buying and selling straw. As early as 4 a.m., hundreds of bicycles loaded with bundles of straw are already there, and they begin their day's stories, filled with laughter and chatter... This straw market brings together all the farmers, their hands and feet stained with mud. And the "specialty" is none other than: straw.

Ms. Lan regularly goes to the straw market every morning.

When it comes to straw, everyone laughs: farmers have plenty of straw! But, don't laugh just yet, because there's a reason for it!

According to the meticulous calculations of Mr. Pham Tuan (Thanh Yen commune, Thanh Chuong district): "These days, straw is incredibly expensive. Before, straw was considered waste, but now it's become a commodity traded on the market. People are rushing to buy straw everywhere, so it's very scarce... You see, for example, during the recent cold spell, I had to spend nearly a million dong to buy straw to feed my buffalo... My family also farms, but last year we were flooded and didn't have a single straw, so we had to buy it. And this time, during the lean season, I had to spend another 200,000 dong to buy more."

This straw market is run entirely by women, who come from various communes in Thanh Chuong district. According to some of the straw buyers, the reason they need to buy straw is that in 2007, several communes in Thanh Chuong district suffered the worst floods in history, leaving them without a single straw. This was followed by the recent severe cold spell, further depleting livestock food supplies. As a result, the price of straw has been driven up significantly...

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan from Thanh Tuong commune (Thanh Chuong district) said: "My family has three children who are still in school. Every morning, I cycle nearly 5 kilometers to sell straw to earn money so my children can go to school... thanks to these straw carts, all my children have been able to get a proper education."

A corner of the straw market.

According to Ms. Lan, selling straw at this time (the lean season) is very profitable, and they have never valued straw as much as they do now. A cartload of straw with 3 small bundles (weighing about 10kg) costs between 25,000 and 35,000 dong, and on many days, there isn't enough to sell. Straw sellers have to deliver it to the buyer's house before receiving payment. Some people cycle dozens of kilometers hoping to earn a few tens of thousands of dong (20,000-30,000 dong) to save for their children's education. Like Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Oanh, a thin, frail woman like a rice leaf, from Thanh Thinh commune, who struggles every day on her rickety bicycle for over 25km selling straw to support her child preparing for university entrance exams. She confided, "It's not always a good time with favorable weather. Last year (2007), my family cultivated 8 acres of rice paddies, so we saved up enough money to build 5 haystacks. This year, seeing that straw is expensive, I go out to sell it every day, hoping to earn enough money for my child's university entrance exam. Straw is expensive this year, sir..." she said excitedly.

It is known that the straw market in Con Market town is currently the only straw market in Nghe An province. This market is still bustling with buyers and sellers, and it is at this straw market that many families have overcome daily hardships, learning to cherish the value of their labor in every straw. Even more valuable is the fact that from those straws, many families have been able to provide their children with an education and help them become successful individuals.

In this rural area, straw is becoming a "specialty," a lifeline for many impoverished families!

This is a joy, a joy that brings tears to my eyes!

Loc Dan An