People in the mountainous district of Quế Phong are entering the peak season for harvesting wild bamboo shoots.
The wild bamboo shoot season runs from June to September of the lunar calendar each year. The best and most abundant time for wild bamboo shoots is in July of the lunar calendar. Photo: Thanh PhucAfter thunderstorms, bamboo shoots grow quickly, and people in Dong Van commune (Que Phong district) go into the forest from early morning to harvest them to earn extra income. Photo: Hoai ThuHarvesting bamboo shoots is a simple but arduous task. To gather a large quantity of delicious bamboo shoots, one needs experience and physical strength to traverse dense forests and overcome many steep, slippery slopes. The deeper into the forest, the more bamboo shoots can be harvested. (Photo: Thanh Phuc)After harvesting, the bamboo shoots are transported by motorboat and gathered at the dock to be sold to traders. Photo: Thanh PhucWild bamboo shoots come in many varieties, but the most common are the bamboo shoots of the Sặt, Bương, Nứa, and Bitter bamboo species. Among them, Nứa and Bương bamboo shoots cost 6,000-8,000 VND/kg; Sặt and Bitter bamboo shoots cost 15,000-20,000 VND/kg. Photo: Thanh PhúcAfter half a day in the forest, some people can harvest half a ton of bamboo shoots, while families with two spouses can earn over 1 million VND per day. Photo: Hoai ThuMr. Luong Van Thuong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Dong Van commune, said: “The bamboo shoot season lasts only a little over two months, but it brings significant income to the people of Dong Van commune. During the peak bamboo shoot season, on average, each person earns 300,000-500,000 VND per day. Each bamboo shoot season, some households earn 30-50 million VND. Bamboo shoots are a secondary forest product and a livelihood for the people here.” Photo: Hoai ThuIn addition, the bamboo shoot harvesting season provides seasonal work and a decent income for those who collect bamboo shoots and supply them to traders. In Dong Van commune, there are about 10 people who specialize in this collection work. Photo: Thanh PhucBamboo shoots are imported for processing facilities that produce boiled bamboo shoots, dried bamboo shoots, pickled bamboo shoots, etc. Photo: Hoai ThuTo maintain a sustainable livelihood, local people are always aware of and have plans to protect the forest, adhering to the common rule of not letting buffalo or cattle graze in areas with bamboo shoots. In addition, when harvesting bamboo shoots, they do not over-harvest; each bamboo clump must have 2-3 buds left to allow the shoots to develop into new plants and continue growing in subsequent seasons. Photo: Thanh PhucClip: Thu - Phuc
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