Khanh Hoa farmers work in the sun to harvest lotus pods

May 27, 2024 | 17:00

TPO - In the lotus fields in Khanh Hoa province, farmers wake up early and wade through mud for hours to harvest lotus pods.

On hot May days, in the lotus fields in Ninh An and Ninh Thuy communes (Ninh Hoa town, Khanh Hoa province), farmers are busy harvesting lotus pods.

In the middle of the vast lotus pond, farmers have to find old lotus buds that have turned dark purple to harvest.

Mr. Le Van Thanh (residing in Ninh An commune) shared that the lotus harvesting process is very hard because he has to soak in the hot sun and wade through mud for many hours. Although it is hard, it is a good source of income to support his life.

To harvest lotus pods, farmers must carry baskets on their backs and weave through lotus canopies that are more than half their height. Their nimble hands search for lotus pods that are just the right size; if they are too young or too old, they will not fetch a good price.

Harvesting lotus pods requires high technique, so finding harvesters must be extremely careful. Mr. Huynh Van Phuoc (residing in Ninh An commune) said: "I was hired to pick lotus pods for 400,000 VND/day. This job seems easy, but you need experience to distinguish which lotus pods can be picked."

From dawn, many people waded into the pond to pick lotus buds, the work lasting until noon. Under the scorching sun, many women who work hard to earn a living had to cover themselves up.

According to the sharing, this area was previously a low-lying area, people grew rice but it was not economically effective so they converted it to grow lotus. If the lotus crop is good, it will bring 2-3 times more value than growing rice.

Farmers sweat profusely as they harvest lotus pods under the summer sun. Even after hours of plucking, their hands are covered in black sap.

After being picked, the lotus pods are brought ashore to be bagged and sent to be separated from the seeds. The lotus picking session usually ends at 5pm.

The current price of lotus is sold from 35,000 - 45,000 VND/kg of fresh seeds. The lotus is picked and transported to be peeled to keep the seeds fresh.

On good harvest days, the garden owner will hire a truck to transport the bags of lotus pods to the seed separation site. Each trip costs about 50,000 VND.

Nhat Nguyen

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nong-dan-khanh-hoa-doi-nang-thu-hoach-dai-sen-post1640937.tpo