The worm catching machine has a current of 4,000-5,000V, connected to two iron rods stuck into the ground. After only one minute, large and small worms crawl out of the ground and are caught.
Recently, many communes in Cao Phong district, Hoa Binh province have seen groups of people go around electrocuting earthworms. They use a machine consisting of two sharp sticks connected to a 4,000-5,000V battery, which costs 1.6-2.5 million VND. The machine can use batteries or accumulators.
This group of people often choose orange gardens, where the soil is loose and has signs of soil swelling, to stimulate the worms. When they insert an iron rod connected to a machine into the ground, after just one minute, worms of all sizes within a square meter will crawl out. On average, a person can catch about 10 kg of worms per day.
A person who specializes in collecting earthworms said that each kilogram of live worms is bought for 30,000 VND. The worms are cleaned and put on drying racks. "About 13 kg of fresh worms will yield 1 kg of dried worms, which are sold for about 600,000 VND," said this person, adding that the dried worms will be sold to Chinese traders, but "it is unclear what they will be used for."
After being electrocuted, the worms crawled to the surface and were caught. Photo: Contributor
Fearing that worm hunting would spread to her orange garden, Ms. Vu Thi Hanh, a resident of Thu Phong commune, hung a "no worm hunting" sign on her fence. "Hang up the sign is one thing, but the family still has to assign someone to watch over and chase them away. There are groups that drive cars with worm hunting tools, operating mainly at night and early morning," Ms. Hanh said.
Cao Phong is a famous orange growing area in Hoa Binh. The electric stimulation of worms makes the soil less porous, affecting the growth of orange trees. Many trees have yellow leaves due to damaged roots, and cannot recover to their original green color, Ms. Hanh said.
According to the Department of Plant Cultivation and Preservation of Hoa Binh province, the problem of electric worm stimulation appeared in 2019, then subsided. In the past half month, this situation has become more common, mainly in the Cao Phong orange area. The unit has proposed that the Provincial People's Committee direct relevant agencies to handle it. Since the beginning of the year, Cao Phong district has caught 9 cases of electric worm stimulation, confiscating many devices.
Not only Hoa Binh, earthworm stimulators occur in many northern provinces such as Son La, Tuyen Quang, Bac Giang... In Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province, where there are nearly 30,000 hectares of fruit trees of all kinds, some individuals use electric stimulators to catch earthworms in fields and fruit gardens, affecting soil fertility and the growth and development of crops.
On July 24, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Giang province requested relevant departments, units and People's Committees of districts and cities to strengthen inspection and prevent the catching of earthworms by electric shock and chemicals in the area; at the same time, inspect and report on the situation of catching, purchasing and processing earthworms.
A worm driving machine with batteries and rods inserted into the ground. Photo: Contributor
Mr. Nguyen Nhu Cuong, Director of the Department of Crop Production, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that he has sent a dispatch to a number of localities requesting them to review and report on the status of earthworm stimulation. Earthworms play an important role in the soil ecosystem, helping the soil to be loose, drained and retain moisture. Worm castings are a good source of nutrients for plants.
The act of stimulating worms to destroy the soil, but there is currently no sanction. Decree 91/2019 on administrative sanctions for violations in the land sector has identified acts of destroying the soil, but stimulating worms with electricity is not clearly regulated.
Currently, to limit the problem, localities mainly increase inspection, propaganda and mobilize people to give up this dangerous job. Some places encourage people to experiment with raising earthworms.
Viet An
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