Developing traditional occupations in the "fairy tale" countryside

Nga Son - a land of outstanding people located in the Northeast of Thanh Hoa province, not only evokes a "fairy tale" countryside, with each mountain, river, field,... imbued with legendary colors, but is also famous for its ancient sedge mat craft. Through many ups and downs, the people here still preserve and promote the values ​​of their ancestors; at the same time, they introduce new crafts and new ways of doing things to meet the demands of the domestic and export markets.

Water hyacinth products of Viet Anh Export Sedge Production and Processing Joint Stock Company in Nga An commune are exported to the United States.

With the criteria of "Close to nature, safe for human health" and carrying the typical cultural values ​​of Nga Son land, after more than 10 years of operation, Viet Anh Export Sedge Production and Processing Joint Stock Company in Nga An commune, directed by Mr. Pham Minh Ton, has been and is a famous enterprise at home and abroad. This is an enterprise specializing in manufacturing products from raw materials such as sedge, rattan, water hyacinth, water hyacinth, bamboo, rattan... In recent years, the company has focused on the form and quality of products before bringing them to the market. Each sedge pot, sedge basket, and sedge plate of the company is made by the hands of Nga Son people with meticulous care at every stage. The company constantly innovates products to adapt to the market, while applying information technology to promote products and attaching stamps and QR codes to trace the origin of products. Currently, the company has 2 factories, with a total area of ​​15,000m2, regularly attracting nearly 100 workers and more than 1,000 seasonal workers with an average income of 5 - 6 million VND/person/month.

In addition to the sedge mat craft, Nga Son district also has other crafts such as: bamboo and rattan village, broom craft, vermicelli craft, rice paper craft, pho craft, carpentry, seafood processing craft... In recent years, Nga Son district has issued many mechanisms and policies to develop crafts suitable to the practical situation. Thanks to that, many traditional crafts in rural areas have been restored and developed, creating jobs, increasing income, and improving the lives of workers in the area. The products produced are also increasingly diverse and rich in types, designs, and packaging. The market for product consumption has also expanded far and wide, exporting to a number of countries: Japan, Korea, Spain, Germany...

Chairman of Nga Son District People's Committee Thinh Van Huyen said: "Since ancient times, Nga Son sedge mats and Kim Son sedge mats (Ninh Binh) have been one of the tributes to the royal court, favored by kings and mandarins. Today, Nga Son sedge mat craft village has expanded its product designs, in addition to sedge mats, there are also floor mats, woven mats, baskets, indoor slippers, decorative items... Products made from sedge, water hyacinth, and coconut fiber that are environmentally friendly are popular in many countries.

In order to preserve and promote traditional occupations in the area, the district has promoted propaganda work and effectively implemented the Party's resolutions and the State's policies on the development of small-scale industries and craft villages. Each unit, association, party cell and party committee in the district is assigned to make the development of occupations and craft villages an annual socio-economic development target. Currently, in Nga Son district, there are about 15,000 households and production establishments engaged in mat weaving and knitting. Most of the enterprises and establishments producing craft village products have invested in infrastructure and human resources to serve their business. The district has also built 3 industrial clusters and inter-commune craft villages, with a total area of ​​over 60 hectares, to create favorable land conditions for establishments to expand their production scale. In the period of 2021-2025, Nga Son district has been coordinating with training units, improving workers' skills, promoting trade, and finding markets for products. Along with that, researching mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of traditional occupations associated with new rural construction; encouraging small-scale handicraft production establishments to research and launch products with unique characteristics and brands of high economic value, contributing to improving people's lives.

Article and photos: Minh Hieu

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/phat-trien-nghe-truyen-thong-nbsp-o-mien-que-co-tich-239887.htm