Catching a whole cage of mice, a farmer earned millions overnight.

Duc Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh District, Nghe An) is famous for dishes made from rat meat. In the past, rats were hunted to prevent crop damage and to make "fun" dishes, but now rats have become a commodity, bringing in a good income for the people.

Mr. Ha Van Cong - Chairman of Duc Thanh Commune People's Committee - said: "The profession of hunting and selling field mice brings stable income to hundreds of households. There are households that earn 1-1.5 million VND/night by catching and selling mice. In the commune, there are 2 facilities that buy field mice, on peak days they can import nearly 1 ton of live mice."

Mr. Cung Duc Mau (Tho Bang hamlet, Duc Thanh commune) is one of two facilities that buy rats here. On average, his facility buys 500-600 kg of live rats per day, sometimes up to 1 ton.

"During cold and rainy times like this, people catch more rats. Rats, like other goods, when there is a lot of supply, the price will decrease," said Mr. Mau.

The imported rats are mainly field mice and velvet rats, of which field mice are the majority. Live and healthy rats are a prerequisite.

Mrs. Phan Thi Nhien (Tho Bang hamlet) loaded 3 boxes of rats onto her bicycle and brought them to Mr. Mau's facility. The 18kg of rats were Mrs. Nhien's husband's "spoils of war" after a night of setting traps.

"Some days he catches a few hundred pounds of mice, other days he only catches a few kilos. They are old, so the couple just works hard to earn money for the market. There are households in my village who are professional mouse trappers, catching hundreds of pounds each night," said Mrs. Nhien.

Mr. Hoang Trong Dan (Minh Chau commune, Dien Chau, Nghe An) is excited with the results of a night of mouse trapping. For the past 3 years, this farmer has had a side job of selling mouse traps. Although it is called a side job, the income from catching mice is higher than from growing rice and other crops.

"I have nearly 100 traps. In addition to bait to lure mice into the trap, it is important to predict the path of the mice. The characteristic of field mice is that they leave their burrows early in the morning to look for food, and return around 9-10pm. I set traps to intercept them. Some days I catch two mice in one cage, but most of the time I only catch one mouse in each cage," Mr. Dan revealed.

Field mouse hunting season starts from May to December every year, with October being the peak. Mice are hunted with traps, and the hunting process does not affect the health of the mice because the facilities only purchase fresh products.

After being collected, the rats will be transported to Hanoi for consumption. According to Mr. Cung Dinh Mau, at the agents, the rats will be butchered and distributed to shops specializing in selling rat meat.

To have enough goods to import for the two purchasing facilities in the commune, in Duc Thanh commune, groups of field mouse hunters have been formed. They buy tools, set traps in the fields of neighboring districts, sometimes even go to Thanh Hoa or Ha Tinh. Also because they go in large groups and set many traps, each night some groups catch 400-500 kg of field mice.

"There is no secret to this job. The most important thing is to be diligent, persistent, go out at night and come back at night. It's very hard, especially in the cold and rainy weather. But in return, going out to the fields at night means making money. Many households in Tho Bang village, Duc Thanh commune, have built big houses and bought cars thanks to hunting field mice," said Mr. Cung Dinh Phong.

Mr. Phong is considered a great rat hunter in Tho Bang village. One night, this man caught nearly 600 kg of rats.

Catching and selling a species that many people fear, farmers earn millions overnight (Video: Hoang Lam).

To ensure the purchasing, sorting and transporting of mice, Mr. Vuong Dinh Mau's facility hired 3 more workers.

"Mice are sold according to weight and size. Small mice cost about 35,000 VND/kg, large mice cost 50,000-55,000 VND/kg, peak price is 60,000 VND/kg. We buy mice from people in the commune and also from people in Dien Chau and Quynh Luu districts, on average 500-700 kg of live mice per day," said Ms. Loan - Mr. Mau's wife.

In addition to large field mouse purchasing facilities, in Duc Thanh, many households butcher mice for retail sale, serving the needs of people in the commune.

Households here are proud of this haunting job, because in addition to providing a stable source of income, they also help farmers eradicate rats that destroy crops.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/lao-dong-viec-lam/gom-bat-ca-long-chuot-nhung-nhuc-nong-dan-kiem-tien-trieu-sau-mot-dem-20231127121545735.htm