Expand production scale
(Baonghean.vn) - Following Mr. Pham Ngoc Giao - Secretary, Head of Block 10 and Chairman of the Vinh Duc Traditional Rice Cracker and Peanut Candy Cooperative, Block 10 - Do Luong Town, we had the opportunity to visit many households making rice crackers and peanut candy in the craft village. We could already feel the alluring aroma of peanuts and sugar in the process of thickening, the scent of black sesame seeds mixed with rice flour, garlic, pepper...
(Baonghean.vn) - Following Mr. Pham Ngoc Giao - Secretary, Head of Block 10 and Chairman of the Vinh Duc Traditional Rice Cracker and Peanut Candy Cooperative, Block 10 - Do Luong Town, we had the opportunity to visit many households making rice crackers and peanut candy in the craft village. We could already feel the alluring aroma of peanuts and sugar in the process of thickening, the scent of black sesame seeds mixed with rice flour, garlic, pepper...
The Cong Thao peanut candy production facility is considered a large-scale production facility in the village. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Cong, to meet market demand, he and his wife decided to borrow 100 million VND from the Agricultural Bank to invest in a candy-making line with a steam oven and automatic water supply. Along with the candy-making line, they have diversified and innovated in terms of product design. Their products are very diverse, including crispy peanut candy, sugared peanut candy, peanut candy for rice crackers, and white peanut candy.
In particular, the chewy peanut brittle candy is popular with consumers, who seek it out directly from his home. He excitedly said: "To have ingredients for making candies and cakes for Tet, for the past few months my family has been buying peanuts, good quality rice, and sesame seeds from Nghi Loc and Vinh to stock up. We currently have nearly 2 tons of selected peanuts in the warehouse, ready for the production of candies and cakes for Tet."
Automatic rice paper coating machine line at Cong Thao production facility.
During Tet (Vietnamese New Year), distributors from Hanoi, Vinh City, Dien Chau, Hoa Binh, Tuong Duong, and even Laos call to place orders, so we're very busy. From now until Tet, we have to work continuously day and night. Normally, we can produce 30 kg of finished rice paper and 200-500 kg of peanut candy per day. During Tet, the production is 3 to 4 times higher than usual. Having an automatic rice paper making machine saves the family money and frees up a lot of labor in many strenuous production steps." According to Mr. Cong and his wife's calculations, during the peak Tet season, after deducting the cost of raw materials and workers' wages, their family earns over 10 million VND per month.
To produce high-quality products, the artisans in Vinh Duc must meticulously select their ingredients. For rice crackers, fragrant rice, carefully sifted black sesame seeds, garlic, pepper, and seasoning are essential. Peanut candy production is even more elaborate, requiring firm, evenly sized peanuts, sugar, molasses, ginger, white rice, malt syrup, and "cu do" cakes. The producers believe that selecting the right ingredients is the first crucial step, followed by the technique of making the crackers and stirring the candy. Combining these two steps is the secret to the success of Vinh Duc's rice crackers and peanut candy.
According to Mr. Pham Ngoc Giao, the history of making rice crackers and peanut candy in Vinh Duc dates back over 200 years. In 1980, a resolution of Do Luong district was passed to restore and develop the traditional craft of making rice crackers and peanut candy in Vinh Duc. To date, 109 out of 253 households in Vinh Duc are involved in the craft, with 60 households operating on a large scale, employing workers and investing in stirring, cutting, and coating machines for production. In 2009, the Vinh Duc traditional craft village was recognized as a traditional craft village by the Provincial People's Committee.
Mr. Nguyen Van Son, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Do Luong Town, said: The traditional craft village of Vinh Duc, specializing in rice crackers and peanut candy, contributes 25% to the town's total economic income, providing employment for 60 permanent workers and over 40 seasonal workers from other localities. The Resolution of the Do Luong Town Party Congress (2006-2010) identified the development of the traditional craft village of Vinh Duc as a priority in the development of the industrial and handicraft network in the area.
However, the production of rice crackers and peanut candy in the craft village is currently spontaneous and lacks established branding. To address these shortcomings, the town is planning to design and build a centralized production area for the craft village, covering an area of 2 hectares with an investment of nearly 10 billion VND. According to this plan, the town will direct the cooperative to improve input and output services for the craft village, relocate 36 large-scale production households to the centralized area, and pay attention to policies supporting access to loans...
Luong Mai