On the wild fields full of mounds of dirt, potholes, and potholes, grasshopper catchers are like circus performers performing "flying motorbikes". The job requires dexterity and a little bit of recklessness in return for millions of dollars every day.
The profession of hunting locusts in Nghe An province has existed for a long time, but the people who actually make a living from this profession are mainly concentrated in Hoang Mai town and Quynh Luu district.
Every year from May to October, locust hunters are present in fields from Nghe An to Ha Tinh to practice their profession.
While people who hunt locusts living on casuarina trees use nets or hand tools, locust hunters who specialize in living in rice fields or grasslands use motorbikes to catch them. The hunter only needs a strong engine with a specially made set of claws, and two mesh bags for the nets.
A sturdy steel frame is attached to the rear axle of the motorbike, and a large bag is added to form a "trap" to attract locusts. The bag must be made of thick, sturdy mesh to withstand impact, friction and wind pressure, and must be airy enough to move easily without affecting the health of the locusts when collected.
As the vehicle moves, the mesh bag becomes inflated under the speed of the vehicle. The mesh mouth is reinforced with a steel frame and opens wide, becoming a large bag that "sucks" in the grasshoppers in the field.
"If you catch locusts in rice fields, you need to be careful not to affect the yield, but it's easier to catch them in grasslands. This season, the rice has just been planted, there are few locusts, so we, the flying shrimp hunters, mainly catch them in grasslands," said Mr. Le Van Tan (residing in Hoang Mai town, Nghe An).
At 5am, he and his colleagues got up, loaded their tools onto the car, and headed to Vinh City (Nghe An) to catch locusts. Today, his "hunting ground" is an abandoned field near the Bac Vinh Industrial Park (Vinh City).
In abandoned fields, the surface is uneven, forming many grass mounds, potholes, and craters. The uneven terrain hidden under thick grass is a challenge for locust catchers.
On the bumpy, uneven rice fields, Mr. Ho Duc Tien (residing in Hoang Mai town, Nghe An) has to ride in a standing position, with both hands firmly on the handlebars to steer the bike through mounds of dirt or increase control force to avoid collisions...
However, the "traps" hidden under the thick grass caused him to "fall to the ground" many times if his steering was not steady enough and he lacked experience in handling the situation. "There were times when I fell into the field, my knees were bruised, but fortunately, no serious situations happened," said Mr. Tien.
Estimating that there were enough locusts in the net, Mr. Tien went ashore to pour them into another fishing bag. The locusts were as small as chopsticks and mixed with dry grass. Mr. Tien had to shake off the grass and "separate" the locusts. This step required skill and agility to prevent the locusts from "crossing the border" and running away.
This method of catching locusts ensures that the locusts are healthy and have no broken or broken legs. "On average, I catch 10-15kg of locusts per day. All of the locusts are collected by traders outside Hanoi to supply to restaurants as snacks or to agents specializing in providing bird food," said Mr. Tien.
After cleaning all the dry grass, trash..., the locusts will be put into another mesh bag with thinner mesh for preservation.
Mr. Tien shared: "This job does not require too many skills, just hard work. The price of locusts imported to agents is currently at 110,000 VND/kg. My daily income is about 1,500,000 VND, at the end of the season it is only about 700,000-800,000 VND/day. The more days make up for the less days, roughly calculated, minus the cost of gasoline, the daily income is 1,000,000 VND".
(BGDT) - The movement of practicing folk dance to improve health is developing vigorously in Bac Giang City. Many organizations and units have established folk dance clubs and teams to create useful playgrounds, improve health and bring joy and new vitality to everyone.
(BGDT) - After half a term of implementing the Resolution of the 22nd District Party Congress, term 2020-2025, promoting the spirit of initiative, creativity, and solidarity, Luc Nam district (Bac Giang) has organized, completed and exceeded many set goals and tasks.
According to Dan Tri
Circus, flying motorbike on the grassland, pocket money, millions every day, grasshopper catcher
Source link
Comment (0)