HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - Dried fish making villages in the Mekong Delta areentering their peak production season ahead of Tet (Lunar New Year),which falls on February 5 this year.

Theyproduce various kinds of dried marine and freshwater fish and shrimp, withsnakeskin gourami, tra and shrimp being theirspecialities.

InCa Mau province, Cai Doi Vam village in the town of the same name has increasedproduction since the 10th lunar month to ensure it can meet the demand.       

DoanThi Thanh Trang, whose family has been making dried fish for nearly sevenyears, said the village’s dried fish producers are operating at full capacitynow. “My family is increasing production to two or three times the normalvolume,” she said.

NguyenVan Kha, Vice Chairman of the Cai Doi Vam Town People’s Committee, said makingdried fish is a very old occupation in the town, with fishermen traditionallykeeping aside a part of their catch to make dried fish to sell later.

Theprofits dried fish offer has attracted many households to the occupation, hesaid. “The village’s dried marine fish are sold to other provinces andexported.”

Theyare sold at an average price of 50,000-80,000 VND (2.2 – 3.5 USD) perkilogramme. Thevillage has more than 100 households and companies producing various kinds ofdried marine fish, including silver croaker, creamfish and mantis shrimp.

CaMau province’s dried shrimp is also in high demand with production establishmentsin Ngoc Hien district’s Rach Goc town operating at full capacity.

BuiVan Chuong, Director of the Tan Phat Loi Dried Shrimp Cooperative in Rach Goc town,said the town’s dried shrimps are sold in many supermarkets around the country.

Thecooperative’s members normally increase production a month before Tet,he said.

In2011, Rach Goc dried shrimp was granted a collective brand name by the NationalOffice of Intellectual Property.

InDong Thap province, Phu Tho dried snakehead fish making village in Tam Nong district’sPhu Tho commune has increased production since last month. Each producer in thevillage makes 200-300kg a day.

Theprice of snakehead fish increased by 7,000-10,000 VND a kilogramme last monthfrom a year ago but the village’s dried fish producers did not increase theirprices. They sell their products at 100,000-230,000 VND (4.3 – 9.9 USD) akilogramme.

InAn Giang province, the Khanh An dried fish making village in An Phu district’sKhanh An commune is famous for its freshwater varieties like tra,snakeskin gourami and snakes.

Itsdried snakeskin gourami is sold mostly to Ho Chi Minh City. Its products arealso sold to tourists around the province’s famous Ba Chua Xu Temple in Chau Doctown.

NguyenThi Hong, owner of a production establishment in Khanh An commune, saidsnakeskin gourami has less fat than many other types of fish and so, dried, itcan be preserved for a long time.

Sometimes,people come to the commune to buy dried snakeskin gourami to send to relativesliving overseas, she said.

Thevillage produces around 3,000 tonnes of dried fish a year.

VoThi Nhung, another producer in the village, said while her normal output is onetonne of dried fish a day, it doubles before Tet.

“Thanksto this, I and my husband have money to build a good house and bring up ourchildren well.”

Duringthe Tet productionseason, dried fish producers have to hire additional workers to clean, debone,marinate, and dry the fish in the sun. The workers are paid wages of 150,000-200,000VND (6.5 – 8.6 USD) a day.

Besides,seniors, women and children can also do certain jobs to earn some extra incomewhen they have free time. They are paid by the hour or quantity.

InKhanh An commune, for instance, fish cleaners, including older people, womenand children are paid 40,000 VND (1.7 USD) for removing the scales, guts,bones, and heads of 30 kilogrammes of fresh fish.

NguyenThi Ngan, a worker in the commune, said people can earn an average of 20,000VND per hour.

PhanThanh Hong, owner of a production establishment, said most people who work forhim are farmers who use their free time to earn an extra income.

Hisestablishment is busiest between 2am and 8am and 5pm and 10pm when fresh fisharrive.-VNS/VNA