Nghe An's corrugated iron boat village is bustling on rainy and flood days

Going along Pham Hong Thai street (Vinh city) through Hung Thinh commune,Hung Nguyen districtAt present, it is not difficult to hear the sound of metal being knocked on the roof. The welding and bending facilities are working continuously during the rainy and flooded days, in which, corrugated iron boats are the main product, ordered by many people in recent days.

The corrugated iron boat village in Hung Thinh commune, Hung Nguyen district is busy with production during the rainy and flood days. Photo: Nguyen Chau

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha in Hung Thinh commune - the owner of a long-standing corrugated iron boat manufacturing facility in the area said: Every rainy and flood season, we have to hire more workers to produce boats on schedule. In recent days, when floods occurred throughout the province, a large number of people and organizations and groups came to buy corrugated iron boats to cope with and support the people, so the boats were consumed more strongly than in previous months.

Ms. Ha said that making a corrugated iron boat is not difficult, however, it requires patience, meticulousness and the willingness to work in a noisy environment. The sound of corrugated iron being knocked all day long has become ingrained in the subconscious of the people here. On average, each skilled worker can make 3-4 boats per day. On stormy days, when market demand increases, production households have to hire more workers to serve the people.

Boats come in many sizes for people to choose from. Photo: Nguyen Chau

It is known that the prices of corrugated iron boats are also very diverse, depending on the size and thickness of the corrugated iron. Usually, production facilities prepare boats with an average length of 2.5 - 3 meters, those who need to make larger sizes can discuss with the shop owner. On average, each small corrugated iron boat costs from 400,000 - 700,000 VND, the large one from 1.5 - 2 million VND, the price can be higher depending on the customer's request.

However, the production of corrugated iron boats is currently facing difficulties due to the high price of raw materials. However, because they are often sold during the rainy and stormy season and are of high urgency, the owners of the establishments often do not increase the price because they have to sell and share with the people during the rainy and flood season.

People buy corrugated iron boats to avoid floods. Photo: Nguyen Chau

Mr. Truong Van Tam - Chairman of Hung Thinh Commune People's Committee said: In the area, there is a long-standing boat-making craft village with dozens of households. During the rainy and stormy season, people and organizations and unions inside and outside the province all flock to buy boats to be ready to respond to natural disasters. In recent days, the floods in the province have been very severe, so this item has been sought after by many people because it is cheap but very practical. Currently, the locality is also orienting to build a craft village to produce systematically, improve quality, and provide enough boats for people in disaster areas.

People in Hung Nguyen district have been using corrugated iron boats to travel in recent days. Photo: Nguyen Chau

In fact, during the recent days of floods, people in isolated areas were forced to travel by boat to get out, while the cost of buying a motorboat is up to tens of millions of dong, so buying a corrugated iron boat not only helps save costs but also allows them to move through flooded areas, which is very necessary. In particular, if using a wooden boat, it will rot over time, many households also cut down tree trunks to make rafts for transportation, which is very dangerous, so using corrugated iron boats is still more feasible than other means.

Nguyen Chau