Busy picking "black gold"
Every August to October is the time when people in the mountainous areas of Ha Tinh enter the harvest of black grass - a type of tree that is considered the "black gold" of the mountains and forests here.
In communes such as Huong Son, Kim Hoa, Son Giang, Son Tien..., black grass is not only a specialty but also a key crop, helping people improve their income and develop the economy sustainably.
On September 4, 2025, it was recorded that in Huong Son commune, people are in the black prawns harvest season with a very urgent atmosphere. This is a fruit with high economic value, favored by the market. Right from the beginning of the season, the price of black frog purchased at the garden ranges from 60,00070,000 VND/kg. When launched on the market, the wholesale price is up to 80,000 VND/kg; finished shrimp products can reach 100,000110,000 VND/kg.
On average, each kg of black black black grass requires about 7090 fruits, equivalent to each fruit costing over 1,000 VND. In particular, last year, the price of a blackberry could be up to 2,000 VND. "S cut into pieces", many people compare, because this fruit really brings in a large source of income.
In addition to selling fresh fruit, people also process grasshoppers into specialties such as fish stewed grasshoppers, meat stewed grasshoppers, grass stewed sticky rice, salted grasshoppers... to serve the domestic and foreign markets of the province. Many households combine both growing and processing products to increase economic value.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh (born in 1950, Huong Son commune) said: "Ancient grass is very popular because the fruit is large, fragrant, and flavorful. As for the high-yielding blacksmith variety, the quality is not as good, so consumers rarely choose to buy it.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue, a trader specializing in purchasing sugarcane in Huong Son commune, shared: "Every day I import 23 taels of sugarcane for distribution. After deducting the cost of hiring pickers and transportation, I make a profit of about 500,000 VND/day. This season, the products are sold out wherever they are.
Plowing, a dangerous profession
Along with threshold growers, in recent years, the hired threshold picking profession has gradually taken shape and developed. Although her income is relatively high, this job has many potential dangers due to the characteristics of a 1035m high cajuput tree with a smooth trunk, brittle branches and easy to break.
Mr. Tong Ngoc (born in 1996, Son Giang commune) shared: "Every day I pick 1.5 quintals of rations, earning from 1 to 1.2 million VND. However, this profession is very dangerous. Many people, even when in good health, do not dare to climb for fear of accidents.
The practical tools are quite simple, including a safety belt and a watchtips with a saohead about 10m long. However, to do the job, the plow picker must have good skills, health and experience in handling situations at high altitudes.
Black grass is a woody tree, the time from planting to harvesting is about 5 years. Each adult tree can produce from a few dozen to hundreds of kilograms of fruit per crop. Many ancient cajuput trees, aged 50 years or more, bring in an income of 515 million VND/season.
According to local statistics, the entire Huong Son district (before the merger) had about 3,000 black cajuput trees, mainly concentrated in Huong Son commune with about 1,000 trees. Communes such as Kim Hoa, Son Tien, Son Giang are also actively expanding the area of grassland cultivation.
Not only a typical agricultural product, black black grapes are also highly appreciated in traditional medicine. According to traditional medicine, blackberry has detoxification effects, dipping sauce, healing sore throats, sedatives, detoxification... so it is favored by domestic and foreign markets.
