Visiting Thuan Hung rice paper village (Thot Not district, Can Tho city) on the days before Tet, we had the opportunity to feel the hustle and bustle of the people here. From early morning, the kilns were already full of smoke to produce delicious rice paper to supply the market.
With satisfaction, Ms. Van Thi Tho (a resident of the craft village) shared that customer demand has increased sharply, the amount of rice paper produced is consumed, making everyone excited. If last year, Ms. Tho's family made about 60 - 70 kg of flour/day, now the amount has increased to 100 kg. However, the amount of rice paper produced is still not enough to meet the demand.
“In addition to my family members, I have to hire 3 more workers at a cost of 300,000 VND/person/day. The sun is nice, the rice paper dries quickly, and the quality is good, so even though the price has increased, it still does not affect the purchasing power of customers. Making rice paper these days is hard but fun. Because the more customers buy, the more prosperous and fulfilling the family's Tet will be,” said Ms. Tho.
Sharing the joy, Mr. Tran Thanh Tam - a resident of the rice paper village - said that Tet is the time his family looks forward to the most in the year. The sharp increase in purchasing power, combined with favorable weather, helps people produce good quality rice paper.
“This year, my family produces 1,000 coconut rice paper and 4,000 sweet rice paper every day to deliver to customers. The actual demand is greater, but to ensure quality, I only produce at a moderate level and prioritize delivering to regular customers,” Mr. Tam shared.
To increase the quantity to 5,000 cakes/day, in addition to hiring workers, Mr. Tam's bakery also applies machinery to the production process. This helps increase output while still maintaining the traditional flavor of rice paper.
“The automatic coating machine produces round, even cakes that still have the traditional flavor and especially dry faster. In addition, the sunshine is good so the cakes are always of good quality. The price of raw materials has increased, but with this purchasing power, we still have a good profit,” Mr. Tam shared.
Speaking with Lao Dong, Mr. Tra Ngoc Sinh - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuan Hung Ward (Thot Not District, Can Tho City) - informed that currently, Thuan Hung rice paper craft village has 104 households, with 63 households producing regularly and 41 households operating seasonally.
In 2024, the output is estimated to reach 125 million cakes, an increase of 12% over the same period with a value of about 76 billion VND. The Lunar New Year is the peak season for rice paper production in the craft village every year. This year's Tet, the output is estimated to increase by 50% compared to normal days, attracting about 800 workers. In addition to supplying locally and neighboring provinces, Thuan Hung rice paper is also exported to Cambodia.
“In the coming time, the locality will support households that have achieved 3-star OCOP products to upgrade to 4-star standards and mobilize the remaining households to participate in the OCOP program. At the same time, the locality will help households connect with banks with preferential loans to equip machinery, increase output and develop the craft village. The locality will also coordinate with the Department of Science and Technology to survey, review and build a brand for Thuan Hung rice paper craft village,” said Mr. Sinh.
Images recorded by reporters at Thuan Hung rice paper village on the days before Tet:
