People in the mountainous district of Que Phong are entering the peak season of picking wild bamboo shoots.
Bamboo shoot season starts from June to September of the lunar calendar every year. The time when bamboo shoots are most delicious and plentiful is in the seventh lunar month. Photo: Thanh PhucAfter thunderstorms, bamboo shoots grow quickly, so people in Dong Van commune (Que Phong) go into the forest early in the morning to pick bamboo shoots to earn extra income. Photo: Hoai ThuBamboo shoot picking is simple but very hard work. To pick a lot of delicious bamboo shoots, it requires experience and strength to cross dense forests and climb many steep, slippery slopes. The deeper you go into the forest, the more bamboo shoots you can pick. Photo: Thanh PhucThe harvested bamboo shoots are transported by motorboat and gathered at the wharf to be sold to traders. Photo: Thanh PhucThere are many types of wild bamboo shoots, but the main ones are bamboo shoots of the genus Sat, Buong, Nua and Buong. Of which, bamboo shoots of the genus Nua and Buong cost 6,000-8,000 VND/kg; bamboo shoots of the genus Sat and Buong cost 15,000-20,000 VND/kg. Photo: Thanh PhucIn half a day in the forest, some people can pick half a quintal of bamboo shoots, and some families with two spouses can earn more than 1 million VND/day. Photo: Hoai ThuMr. Luong Van Thuong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Dong Van Commune, said: “The bamboo shoot season lasts just over 2 months, but brings significant income to the people of Dong Van Commune. During the bamboo shoot season, on average, each person earns 300,000-500,000 VND per day. Each bamboo shoot crop, some households earn 30-50 million VND. Bamboo shoots are a secondary forest product, a livelihood for the people here.” Photo: Hoai ThuIn addition, the bamboo shoot harvesting season also brings seasonal work and a good income to those who collect bamboo shoots for traders. In Dong Van commune, there are about 10 people who specialize in this collecting job. Photo: Thanh PhucBamboo shoots are imported for processing facilities to produce boiled bamboo shoots, dried bamboo shoots, salted bamboo shoots... Photo: Hoai ThuTo maintain a sustainable livelihood, local people are always aware and have plans to protect the forest, complying with the general convention of not letting cattle and buffaloes into areas with wild bamboo shoots. In addition, when picking bamboo shoots, do not pick them all, each bamboo shoot bush must have 2-3 buds removed to create conditions for the bamboo shoots to develop into trees, continuing to grow in the following generations. Photo: Thanh PhucClip: Thu - Phuc
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