Hunting locusts to earn millions every day

(Baonghean.vn) - These days, across the fields in the province, people are enteringlocust hunting seasongreen riceThere are people who earn millions of dong every day from catching locusts.

At dawn, in the corn fields of Xuan Hoa commune (Nam Dan), locust hunters from Quynh Trang commune (Hoang Mai town) were already there to work. They carried large nets made from nylon and tulle, and walked along the ditches while catching locusts. When there were many locusts in the net, they gathered them into nets and moved by motorbike across the fields.

According to hunters, now is the season to hunt grasshoppers - young, wingless grasshoppers that often live and run on the banks of ditches. Grasshoppers are caught to feed ornamental birds. There are two seasons of grasshopper hunting each year: Spring season in March - April and Winter season in November - December.

Usually, locust hunters hunt almost all year round, from green grasshopper season to meat grasshopper season, only resting for 2 months before and after Lunar New Year.

People of Quynh Trang commune (Hoang Mai town) hunt for grasshoppers in a cornfield in Xuan Hoa commune (Nam Dan). Photo: Huy Thu

Grasshopper hunting tools are rackets and nets, depending on the type of grasshopper and the season, catch them using appropriate means. Hunting grasshoppers for meat in the summer usually involves using two rackets tied to the back of a motorbike, running on the fields, while hunting in the winter involves using nets.

As for hunting grasshoppers, because they don't have wings to fly, every season we just use hand nets, scooping them around rice fields, young corn fields, and grassy ditches.

Mr. Ho Duc Thang (30 years old) in hamlet 7, Quynh Trang commune said that his commune has about several hundred workers from 25 to 60 years old who hunt locusts, concentrated in hamlets 3, 7, 8, 9. There are many families where both husband and wife do this job.

They often go in groups of 3-5 people, sometimes 10 people, hunting all over the province such as Nghi Loc, Hung Nguyen, Do Luong, Thanh Chuong, Con Cuong, Quy Hop... sometimes even to Tinh Gia (Thanh Hoa), or even to Nghi Xuan, Duc Tho, Hong Linh (Ha Tinh). Even though they go far, locust hunters arrange to return the same day to process the locusts they have caught while they are still fresh and alive.

After being caught in the fields, locusts are gathered in loose, airy nets. During the meat locust season, each person can earn 500 - 700 thousand VND/day, sometimes millions, while during the young locust season, they can only earn 200 - 300 thousand VND at most. Photo: Huy Thu Photo: Huy Thu

Meat locusts - the winged kind, used as snacks in restaurants and hotels, are imported to agents for 50,000 - 80,000 VND/kg after being caught. They are processed (boiled, de-winged, dried) and then shipped to Hanoi, Hai Phong, etc.

Grasshoppers are often brought home by hunters in Quynh Trang, packaged (each package contains about 30-35 live grasshoppers) and then sent by passenger vans to Da Nang. Depending on the season, the price of grasshoppers ranges from 3-5 thousand VND/package.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Phung (48 years old) in hamlet 8, Quynh Trang commune said that his family has many people but only has a few fields, so he has to do extra work hunting locusts to cover expenses.

This job requires a lot of traveling, dozens, sometimes hundreds of kilometers a day, and sometimes when it rains, you have to return empty-handed. Although it is hard, in general, locust hunting also brings a good, steady income. During the meat locust season, each person can earn 500-700 thousand VND/day, sometimes millions, while during the green locust season, you can only earn 200-300 thousand VND at most.

Grasshoppers fried with lemon leaves - A rustic delicacy. Illustrative photo

In recent years, since locusts became a specialty, a clean food favored by consumers in cities, along with the development of the bird-raising movement everywhere, the demand for locusts has increased sharply, causing people in some communes in Hoang Mai, Quynh Luu, Dien Chau...Grasshopper hunting quickly spread, not only creating jobs for many people, but also contributing to the reduction of a dangerous natural enemy to crops.

Mr. Phung shared: “In Quynh Trang, we hunt locusts almost all year round. Those who follow this profession never want to stop. Although locust hunting is a side job with low investment costs, it has brought in the main income for many families.”

Huy Thu