These days, the dry air in some island communes of Kien Hai district (Kien Giang province) has begun to bustle.
Making a living by drying fish, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong (Kien Hai district, Kien Giang province) said that dried fish is sold all year round, but depending on the type of fish caught, each season will have different dried products. Tet is the time when the most dried fish is produced because consumer demand increases sharply.
This year, Ms. Huong plans to produce about 1 - 1.5 tons of fish, mainly familiar but popular items during Tet such as anchovies, barracudas, and silver pomfret. The family also produces dried shrimp and dried squid to serve the market.
According to Ms. Huong, after being cleaned, soaked in salt and spices, the sea fish will be dried. Each type of dried fish has its own way of being marinated, creating a unique flavor.
“The distinctive delicious flavor is what makes many diners love our family’s dried products. Hopefully the weather will be sunny and the dried products will be of the best quality so that we can soon supply the market and sell them at high prices,” Ms. Huong shared.
In Can Tho City, snakehead fish drying facilities are also busy preparing goods for Tet.
With nearly 9 years of experience in making dried snakehead fish, Ms. Vo Thi Be Sau (Binh Thuy District, Can Tho City) said that at this time, her family is focusing on producing dried fish to supply the Tet market. Compared to previous years, this Tet season, her family is expected to increase the amount of dried fish due to economic recovery and good customer demand.
“A few years ago, due to the impact of the epidemic, I only produced about 200 - 300 kg of fresh fish per day. With the situation this year tending to be better, I plan to increase it to about 200 kg of fresh fish per day. If the sun is good, the fish will dry for about 3 - 4 days and reach the required dryness, then can be packaged and delivered to customers,” said Ms. Sau.
To have delicious, quality dried products to supply to markets and customers who pre-order, in addition to contacting to buy snakehead fish early, taking advantage of fresh raw materials, Ms. Sau as well as other dried production facilities also hire more workers. From there, creating jobs and increasing income for many local workers.
Taking advantage of her free time, Ms. Le Khai (O Mon District, Can Tho City) took on a seasonal job at a dried fish production facility in Binh Thuy District. With tasks such as processing fish, seasoning and drying, Ms. Khai earned 250,000 VND/day.
“For me, these jobs are all familiar, nothing too strenuous, just a bit difficult in having to watch the sun and stir the fish so that it dries evenly and meets quality standards. In return, I have more income to cover the upcoming Tet holiday. On days when there are a lot of fish, I have to work overtime, my income can increase by 40,000 - 70,000 VND,” said Ms. Khai.
