Highland elders harvest rattan to sell to raise funds for the association
(Baonghean.vn) - Planting rattan on fallow land not only earns extra income for members but also has money to pay membership fees. This is a good way of doing things by the Mac Village Elderly Association, Thach Giam Commune (Tuong Duong).
These days, members of the Mac Village Elderly Association, Thach Giam Commune (Tuong Duong) are urgently harvesting rattan to sell to traders to earn more income for members as well as to have a source of activities for the association.
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| Elderly people bring clouds home. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
Ms. Luong Thi Lan, deputy head of the Mac Village Elderly Association, said that this land area was previously abandoned for growing rattan. In 2009, it was realized that this was a fertile land located next to National Highway 7A, so it was very convenient. Since then, the Village Elderly Association has organized a meeting of members to ask the local government to reclaim the land for rattan planting.
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| An old woman is stripping rattan before transporting it to the gathering point. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
Ms. Kha Thi Luyen (67 years old), a member of the Mac Village Elderly Association, said: “This rattan crop is estimated to yield a total of nearly 1.5 tons after harvest. Currently, each kilogram is sold at home for 10,000 VND. 30-40% of the total proceeds from the sale will be used to pay for the association's operating fund, and the remainder will be divided among the members.”
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| Rattan is sold to handicraft production facilities. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
“Going to work here makes me happy and feel healthier because I get to meet and talk with the elders in the association,” said an old man. Being present at the place where the elders are harvesting rattan, we can easily see the spirit of solidarity and mutual support in the harvesting process.
It is known that from next season, the elders will plant corn instead of rattan, because they think that planting corn is easier to sell and shortens the time of each crop.