Quang Tri ethnic minorities boost income in Tet through specialties

By harnessing the potential strengths and available resources in their local areas, ethnic minority communities in the mountainous regions of Quang Tri prepare traditional products each year for the Lunar New Year holiday market. They invest considerable effort into selecting and crafting high-quality, visually appealing products with diverse options to earn the trust of customers. These Tet offerings not only boost the income of ethnic minority families but also generate employment opportunities for many local workers. In addition, this practice helps preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of their communities while stimulating local tourism development.

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, Ms. Ho Thi Hoa My, a Pa Ko ethnic woman from Krong Klang town, is busy preparing unique products that are considered “exclusive” in Dakrong district. These include specialties such as smoked beef, buffalo, pork, chili salt, dried fish, rice wine, sticky rice wine, and herbal wine, all of which offer distinct and delicious flavors that customers will never forget.

Hoa My prepares local specialty products to serve customers for the Lunar New Year 2025.

"To ensure a sufficient supply of products for the New Year, I started preparing ingredients a month ago and hired additional workers from the ethnic minorities in the town to assist with the product preparation stages. After processing, I personally craft each dish according to the recipe to ensure it matches local tastes," shared Hoa My.

She also carefully selects packaging, bottles, and labels for her products, aiming not only to create something delicious but also aesthetically pleasing. She hopes that when customers purchase the items, they will feel more connected to the product and appreciate the effort put into it. These products are not only sold at her shop in Krong Klang town but are also available online through platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, Tiktok, and YouTube.

In addition to these specialties, Hoa My also chooses high-quality local products, such as rice, sticky rice, vegetables, fruits, wild fish, forest honey, and free-range chicken, from remote areas in the district to sell during the Tet season. She participates in a booth at the Border Market in Lao Bao during Tet and has worked hard to ensure these products are available to a wider market.

Despite the challenges she faced in starting her business, Hoa My continues to strive to connect local products with a broader audience. Notably, she has helped local people find outlets for various crops and livestock. During the Tet period, Hoa My creates jobs for 3 to 5 ethnic minority women, with an average daily income ranging from 6 to 8 USD per person.

Bamboo shoots are another specialty commonly used in many dishes during Tet. Taking advantage of the abundant natural bamboo shoots in the mountainous region, the members of the Ba Tang Clean Agricultural Cooperative in Huong Hoa district focus on harvesting large quantities of bamboo shoots, wild bananas, papaya flowers, bitter melon, and wild tea leaves for processing and drying to preserve them for the Tet market.

Previously, the families of the cooperative members mainly relied on traditional farming methods, which were not very efficient. However, with the support of Plan International Vietnam, the cooperative was established in July 2023, with 16 members, all of whom are women from the Van Kieu ethnic group in the area.

Ms. Ho Thi Linh, a member of the Ba Tang Clean Agricultural Cooperative, explained, "Our task is to harvest natural products such as bamboo shoots, wild bananas, and medicinal leaves, process them, and dry them using solar-powered drying systems."

Taking advantage of free time after their farming activities, the members of the cooperative enter the forest to gather these natural products to increase their income. By participating in this model, they earn an average of US$6 to $8 per person for half a day’s work. During Tet, they dedicate more time to harvesting and processing agricultural products, which nearly doubles their income. Orders for dried agricultural products for Tet are placed a month in advance, especially for dried bamboo shoots, so the cooperative is always busy during this time. Thanks to the use of a closed drying system, the products dry beautifully and maintain their quality, particularly the bamboo shoots, which retain their golden color and aroma when properly processed.

The products of the cooperative are promoted on social media by Mr. Nguyen Huu Khoa, Deputy Head of the Plan International Vietnam project in Ba Tang, so that as production continues, sales increase. Khoa shared, "Thanks to the cooperative, the Van Kieu women have a significant additional source of income. This money allows them to buy books for their children, food, and treats for the Tet holiday. The main market for these products is in Quang Tri and nearby provinces such as Hue and Quang Binh. This year, the cooperative received more orders for dried agricultural products than last year, and the members are encouraging each other to maintain both the quantity and quality to ensure their reputation with customers."

Similar to Hoa My, Ms. Ko Kan Hai Au, a Pa Ko ethnic woman from Block 3B, Khe Sanh town, Huong Hoa district, is also preparing a large quantity of black glutinous rice and white glutinous rice to make various types of traditional herbal wine for the New Year.

Thanks to her unique recipe, her products are not only delicious but have also gained a solid reputation for their quality in the market. The products are tested for quality by local authorities and certified with barcodes to ensure food safety, making them popular with customers.

"The wine is made from wild herbal ingredients and fermented naturally, giving it a distinctive flavor and ensuring high quality. That’s why I want to contribute to providing customers with a special drink for Tet that represents the Pa Ko and Van Kieu cultures. The quantity of wine I produce for Tet is higher than in other months, reaching over 1,000 liters, with an estimated profit of about 800 USD after covering expenses." In addition to these agricultural products, the Van Kieu and Pa Ko people in the mountainous areas are also preparing a variety of other Tet products, including broomsticks, traditional woven fabrics, and bamboo products such as baskets.

According to local producers, while there are some advantages in producing these specialty products, they also face several challenges in business, such as a lack of investment in modern equipment, machinery, and proper labeling, packaging, and design.

Therefore, to improve the quality and increase the production of these items to meet the growing market demand, they hope that local authorities and relevant agencies will support ethnic minority households and production facilities by helping them design appropriate packaging, labels, and packaging for their products. They also want training programs to teach ethnic minority women more about technology use to better meet market needs, as well as promotional efforts and assistance in expanding their product market.

Ko Kan Suong - Ngoc Mai