Sea grapes are a specialty of Khanh Hoa along with bird's nest and agarwood. The flavor of Khanh Hoa sea grapes is loved by locals and tourists at home and abroad.
The development of the seaweed brand has contributed to creating jobs for many workers in the area. For example, in Ninh Hai ward, Ninh Hoa town, the seaweed picking profession has brought a stable source of income to the people here.
According to locals, Japanese seaweed was introduced to Vietnam about 20 years ago, grown mainly in Khanh Hoa province, becoming a product with high economic efficiency.
The whole Khanh Hoa province has 70 - 80 hectares of seaweed cultivation with an output of more than 2,500 tons/year. In Ninh Hai ward alone, Ninh Hoa town currently has about 30 hectares of seaweed cultivation with an average output of nearly 500 tons/year.
To pick seaweed, pickers must lie on small buoys and gently use their hands to pick up each strand of seaweed to avoid damaging the seaweed.
Mr. Dao Duy Xoan, resident of Ninh Hai ward, Ninh Hoa town, said that in recent years, he has started to harvest seaweed. The seaweed harvesting job brings a stable income, from 250-350 thousand VND/day.
Every day, receiving notice from the pond owner about picking seaweed, Mr. Xoan and some local brothers quickly get to work. Picking seaweed does not require complicated techniques. Just be diligent and willing to soak in water for a long time.
"Seaweed picking starts early in the morning and lasts until around 1-2 pm, then we rest and regain our strength to return to work the next day," Mr. Xoan shared.
Recognizing the opportunity to get rich from growing seaweed, many ineffective shrimp ponds have been converted to grow small seaweed.
Mr. Tran Nhu Hoang - owner of a small seaweed facility in Ninh Hai ward shared that growing seaweed brings high economic efficiency, with a lower risk of disease compared to other farming professions. Every 12-15 days, the owner of the pond will notify the seaweed picking team to pick it up.
Mr. Hoang assessed that Khanh Hoa currently has a large sea surface area stretching along the coast, clean seawater and stable salinity, creating ideal conditions for seaweed to grow and develop. Thanks to that, the seaweed exploitation profession brings significant income to many local workers.
To ensure a stable supply of seaweed products to the market, many households and establishments in Khanh Hoa have developed large-scale seaweed farming models according to the production linkage model.
