Tuy Phong: Scallop season is here

For nearly a month now, the scallop farming area in Chi Cong commune, Tuy Phong district, known as the capital of scallops, has been bustling with activity, signaling the arrival of this year's scallop season, right before the Lunar New Year 2024.

This past weekend, the Chi Cong scallop wharf was more bustling than ever. Boat owners called out to each other, young men took turns carrying sacks of scallops ashore, middlemen weighed and calculated prices, and women vied for a spot to open the scallops on the spot… At the moment the boats docked, countless scallops were packed into sacks, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere. Hundreds of fishermen hurriedly loaded sacks of scallops onto small boats and headed ashore to deliver them to waiting traders. According to the boat owners, for nearly a month now, their fishing trips have yielded large catches of scallops. Each day, tens of tons of scallops arrive at the dock, with prices higher than in previous years, so the scallop divers are excited, hoping for a prosperous Tet holiday this year.

Chi Cong scallop wharf is bustling when scallop season arrives.

Last year, each boat only harvested a few hundred kilograms of scallops per day, but this year, that number has increased to several tons, helping fishermen earn millions of dong daily. Nguyen Van Nhi, a local fisherman, shared: “This year, there are a lot of fan scallops; each diver can get more than 100 kilograms per day. The price is also higher than in previous years; small scallops cost 8,000-10,000 dong/kg, while large scallops cost 12,000-14,000 dong/kg. Each day, fishermen earn more than 1 million dong.” About a week ago, not only Chi Cong scallop wharf, but most other coastal areas such as Phan Ri Cua, Phuoc The, Vinh Hao… all experienced a large scallop harvest. According to locals, this year's scallop yield is the highest in years, mainly consisting of the spongy and flying scallop varieties. These scallops have large, delicious meat, making them a best-seller. With a large quantity of scallops arriving at the docks, traders will buy them and hire local women to extract the meat, which they then supply to major cities.

Most coastal areas in the province have yielded large quantities of scallops.

Besides squid and dried fish, Tuy Phong scallop meat is considered a signature product that many people order and freeze to prepare refreshing dishes such as scallop porridge, stir-fried scallops with bean sprouts and chives, scallop patties, etc. Ms. Le Thi Be Trinh, who has many years of experience in buying and selling scallop meat in Phan Ri Cua, added that there are currently two types of scallops: trawled and diving scallops, making it difficult for buyers to distinguish between them. Trawled scallops have smaller, yellowish-ivory-colored meat that is mushy and not as fresh as diving scallops. Therefore, trawled scallop meat is also cheaper than diving scallop meat, and consumers can easily buy the wrong type. On average, more than 10 kg of whole scallops will yield 1 kg of scallop meat, selling for about 110,000 VND/kg at the source. After many transactions through traders, the product reaches consumers in Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City. In Ho Chi Minh City, the price of 1 kg of finished product is approximately 130,000 - 140,000 VND.

On average, 10 kilograms of whole clams in their shells yield only 1 kilogram of clam meat.

In recent days, scallop meat has been ordered in large quantities by customers in Ho Chi Minh City, resulting in insufficient supply after harvesting. The abundant scallop production has contributed to employment for many women in coastal areas, as well as adding an interesting seafood dish to the Tet holiday meals of many families. This is a signature dish of the Binh Thuan coastal region; therefore, most restaurants and seafood eateries in the province offer scallops to their customers. This Tet holiday, when visiting Tuy Phong, don't forget to enjoy grilled scallops over charcoal, as this is the season when the scallops are the largest and fattest of the year.

The processed scallops are sold to provinces and cities.

The abundant scallop yield has contributed to creating jobs for many women in coastal areas.

According to many local fishermen, this year scallops appeared in abundance in December when the north wind blew. In previous years, they were usually only abundant during the south wind season, from June to August or until the end of January. The combination of a bountiful harvest and good prices has brought joy to many fishermen in the coastal area as Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/tuy-phong-mua-so-diep-ve-116432.html