Increasing income for rural workers from straw
Straw rolling has become a profession for rural workers in the Mekong Delta provinces, not only helping to improve income but also bringing a stable job.
As in the case of Mr. Le Khanh Linh (Tra Vinh), who has been involved in the straw collection profession for nearly 10 years. Mr. Linh said that bringing a straw coil into work is a positive change, not only saving time and effort but also improving labor productivity, making work much more convenient.
According to Mr. Linh, in the past, straw rolling was mainly done by hand, requiring a lot of labor and taking a lot of time. However, with the support of a straw coil, the work was completed quickly.
"Currently, the amount of straw collected is 4-5 times more than done by hand, earning from 500 - 700 thousand VND/day, spending comfortably in the family, especially leftovers and enough milk for the daughter to have just turned 2 years old," Mr. Linh added.
Mr. Vo Tiet Hoan (Vinh Long) could not hide his joy and said that before, when he worked out the rice harvest in his hometown, he worked as a construction worker, and who would hire him to do that? Now, the purchase of straws is continuous, so they should be hired to work all year round in many provinces and cities such as Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Hau Giang...
"Previously, handmade straw coils only cost 200 - 300 thousand VND per day, but since the machines were used, their income has doubled to earn 500 - 600 thousand VND per day, and family life has improved a lot," said Mr. Hoan.
Creating stable jobs for workers
Talking to Lao Dong, Mr. Le Hai Bang - owner of a straw purchasing facility in Vinh Long - said that he has been involved in the work of purchasing straws from one currency to another for nearly 10 years.
According to Mr. Bang, the work of purchasing straws not only brings a stable source of income for the family, but also helps rural workers in the area have a regular job. Thereby, farmers no longer have to completely depend on rice productivity but increase their income from straw.
Buying and using straw instead of burning straw not only helps reduce air pollution but also takes advantage of natural resources to produce valuable products, such as organic fertilizers, straw mushrooms, and animal feed.
"Thanks to the development of straw purchasing, the lives of many rural families have improved, reducing the unemployment rate," Mr. Le Hai Bang added.
Straw collection helps create jobs for rural workers all year round, while supporting rice growers in processing straw. Straw can be used as fertilizer, animal feed, reduce environmental pollution and contribute to the development of a sustainable rural economy.
