Spending the whole night hunting for flying shrimp over the sugarcane fields.

(Baonghean.vn) - With changing weather, locusts breed most abundantly in young sugarcane fields. Many people in Nghia Dan still travel tens of kilometers at night to hunt locusts. According to many, a night of diligent "walking" can earn them between 200,000 and 1 million VND.

Sugarcane grasshoppers are characterized by their yellow color, large size, and plumpness.

Nghia Dan district has over 7,000 hectares of sugarcane and vast grasslands belonging to the TH Dairy Food Company. This is a paradise for locusts, especially in the current weather conditions, where they thrive and cause significant damage. Instead of using nets because the sugarcane and grass are too tall, Nghia Dan locust hunters use their bare hands to "harvest" locusts each night, earning millions of dong.

Although it's dark before they can catch grasshoppers, about 40 "hunters" start their journey at 5 PM, traveling a distance of 15 to 20 km. They sometimes reach the sugarcane fields just as dusk falls, and then have to sit and wait.

The best time to catch grasshoppers is from 7 PM to 11 PM, as this is when they congregate in large numbers and are easy to catch. People use flashlights to spot them and catch them by hand. After catching them, the grasshoppers are put into plastic containers or sacks to prevent them from flying away. Each person can catch 5 to 10 kg of grasshoppers per night.

Sugarcane grasshoppers sleep soundly at night.

Besides catching them in sugarcane fields in the district, people are also focusing on catching them in the grass fields of TH Milk Company. According to many locals, the grasshoppers here are plump, yellow, large, and have short wings. After being caught and cleaned, the grasshoppers are sold for 100,000 to 120,000 VND/kg. Each night, people can earn from 200,000 to over 1 million VND/kg.

Ms. Dinh Thi Them from Nam Hoa hamlet, Nghia Long commune, said: "At 5 pm, people start going to the sugarcane and grass fields on their motorbikes. Every day, about 40-50 people go hunting. If they find a good spot, they catch them very quickly. Because they are in the sugarcane and grass fields, they can't use nets, only catch them by hand. Grasshoppers are less reactive at night. Hunting grasshoppers at night is not only hard work but also fraught with danger. Some people get so caught up in the grasshoppers that they forget their way home, forget where they left their motorbikes, and have to wait until the next morning to get back..."

Locusts usually return once a year, and for many people in Nghia Dan who are "addicted" to hunting them, this is a chance to make money. Ms. Luong Thi Thu, one of the veteran locust hunters, said: "We always encourage each other that we can both exercise while walking and earn money, and also provide food for our families. After a night of catching locusts, our arms and legs are exhausted, but we still earn some income, a few hundred thousand to one million dong each night."

Hunting grasshoppers at night in the sugarcane fields is a simple task for the locals.

Grasshoppers are in high demand, selling for 120,000 VND/kg after cleaning. Families buy them to stir-fry with lime and chili, a popular local delicacy. However, not everyone knows how to prepare them properly. According to experienced grasshopper enthusiasts, for a crispy and delicious dish, lime, chili, and various herbs are essential accompaniments.

After being caught, the grasshoppers are cleaned and processed into dishes or sold to locals for 120,000 VND/kg.

Dinh Thuy