Growing water chestnuts is more profitable than growing rice.

In Dong Thap province, the water chestnut plant, which was previously only grown during the flood season, has now become a crop that provides a stable year-round income for people in Lap Vo district, Dong Thap province.

Farmers harvesting water chestnuts. Photo: Phuc An .

Water chestnuts can be grown and sold year-round.

Water chestnut is an aquatic plant that was originally grown by people in Lap Vo district, Dong Thap province, as a rotational crop instead of rice during the flood season. Later, realizing that water chestnut cultivation could bring higher economic benefits than rice farming, many farmers here switched to growing water chestnuts year-round.

Currently, Lap Vo district has over 80 hectares of water chestnut cultivation, concentrated mainly in Long Hung B and Vinh Thanh communes. Local people mainly grow the Taiwanese water chestnut variety because it is easy to cultivate and requires little care.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Duc (residing in Long Hung B commune, Lap Vo district), who has been involved in water chestnut cultivation for over 7 years, said that water chestnuts are quite easy to grow. The time from sowing the seeds to harvesting the tubers is about 3 months. After each harvest, a new harvest can be done about 10 days later, so water chestnuts are always available for sale year-round.

Water chestnuts should be mature and about 5-7cm in size when harvested. Photo: Phuc An .

"Currently, it's the season, so the price of water chestnuts is quite low, only 7,000 VND/kg. However, the price also fluctuates from time to time; sometimes it can sell for 13,000 - 15,000 VND/kg. In general, growing water chestnuts yields a slightly higher income than growing rice," Mr. Duc shared.

Owning over 1 hectare of water chestnut plantations, Mr. Duc hires 3 to 5 workers daily to harvest the water chestnuts. The work usually starts at 6 am and ends at 12 noon, with each person harvesting 50 to 80 kg of water chestnuts per day. For this work, Mr. Duc pays each worker 140,000 VND per day.

After harvesting, the water chestnuts are put into sacks and transported for sale within the province and neighboring provinces and cities.

Must-try specialties

Not only focusing on growing and selling fresh water chestnuts, the people of Lap Vo district are also striving to develop a variety of processed products from water chestnuts to increase their value and expand their market.

A stall selling water chestnuts and processed water chestnut products along National Highway 80. Photo: Phuc An .

Along National Highway 80, the section passing through Vinh Thanh commune (Lap Vo district), it's easy to spot numerous stalls of all sizes selling a variety of products, from small, makeshift carts to larger, more professionally invested shops. Sellers often display their products right at the roadside and actively invite customers to stop and buy.

Besides fresh water chestnuts, other popular items sold here include boiled water chestnuts, water chestnuts boiled in coconut water, peeled water chestnuts, and even water chestnut milk. These products are not only diverse in preparation methods but also have distinctive flavors, attracting many locals and tourists alike to buy them.

Ms. Dang Thi Huyen Tran, a small vendor selling water chestnuts on National Highway 80, shared: "Every day I set up my stall from 7 am to 5 pm, selling an average of 15-20 kg of boiled water chestnuts, earning about 400,000 VND."

By processing and selling products made from water chestnuts, the local people not only increase their income but also contribute to promoting their local specialty.

Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/trong-au-loi-hon-trong-lua-d403247.html