Wild rau mop has now become the main source of income for many households in Trung An commune in HCM City’s Cu Chi district (Photo: thanhnien.vn) HCM City (VNA) – Many households in HCM City’s outlying districtof Cu Chi have started growing rau mop (pimply lasia) since it bringsa good income.
Rau mop is an edible plant that grows wild in wet environments, and TrungAn commune which lies along the Saigon River makes an ideal habitat for it.
In the past the main livelihood of people there used to be raising pigs andcows and growing cassava and fruits.
But a few years ago when rau mop was sold in local markets, traderscame to buy and sell it to people in the inner city, and it began to gainviability as a crop.
Local households then started to grow it in their orchards. Some even switchedfrom other crops to grow only rau mop.
Tran Ngoc Sinh of An Hoa hamlet has 2ha of land under rambutan and jackfruit.She grew rau móp in ditches in her orchard to supplement her income.But after one year of growing the plant it has in fact become her main sourceof income.
People do not have to water the plant or apply fertilisers since it needs verylittle care, she told Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper.
She does not even have to go to the market to sell it since traders come andbuy it, paying 20,000-25,000 VND (0.9-1.1 USD) per kilogramme, she said.
She harvests 50-60kg of rau mop every four days and earns dozens ofmillions of dong a month after paying pickers’ wages.
Next to An Hoa is Bon Phu hamlet, which has the largest number of rau mop growersin the district.
Ho Van Hoan once grew rice on his 6ha field, but since rice yields were nothigh due to pests and diseases he has given up the crop altogether and growsonly rau mop since it is “easier.”
"I just need to clean the grass. Every four days pickers will come andharvest it and then traders will come and buy it," he said.
The plant grows on its own again after being picked, and so there is no need toreplant it, he added.
He said locals now prefer to grow rau mop because it does not requiremuch work and brings a steady income.
Though there is plenty of demand for rau mop in the district andgreat potential for large-scale production, it is little known to people in HCMCity.
Households in Cu Chi still grow the plant on a small scale and do not worktogether to create a production network, according to Tran Trung Hieu, anofficial at the district economic bureau.
Rau mop growers have little knowledge of how to take care of the plant,and most of the time they treat it as a wild plant, he said.
“Rau mop can grow well on its own but during the rainy season, when pestsare active, growers do not know how to handle them. Some just spray pesticidesand wait to harvest just as they do with other crops.
“That leads to a decrease in yields.”
He said the district administration is working on establishing a cooperativeand nominating a person who can represent household growers to sign contractswith wholesale markets and other large consumers to ensure their output issold.
“Our main goal is to build a brand for rau mop and take it to majorsupermarkets and restaurants in HCM City.”
The city Department of Science and Technology is working with the Cu Chieconomic bureau and Trung An commune administration to study rau mop growing.
The department plans to use technology to improve the plant’s yield and qualityand market it.
Besides, it seeks to train growers in using technology to produce, process andsell the plant.
Then, it will bring together companies and growers to expand the market andattract investors to expand production.-VNA
Rau mop is an edible plant that grows wild in wet environments, and TrungAn commune which lies along the Saigon River makes an ideal habitat for it.
In the past the main livelihood of people there used to be raising pigs andcows and growing cassava and fruits.
But a few years ago when rau mop was sold in local markets, traderscame to buy and sell it to people in the inner city, and it began to gainviability as a crop.
Local households then started to grow it in their orchards. Some even switchedfrom other crops to grow only rau mop.
Tran Ngoc Sinh of An Hoa hamlet has 2ha of land under rambutan and jackfruit.She grew rau móp in ditches in her orchard to supplement her income.But after one year of growing the plant it has in fact become her main sourceof income.
People do not have to water the plant or apply fertilisers since it needs verylittle care, she told Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper.
She does not even have to go to the market to sell it since traders come andbuy it, paying 20,000-25,000 VND (0.9-1.1 USD) per kilogramme, she said.
She harvests 50-60kg of rau mop every four days and earns dozens ofmillions of dong a month after paying pickers’ wages.
Next to An Hoa is Bon Phu hamlet, which has the largest number of rau mop growersin the district.
Ho Van Hoan once grew rice on his 6ha field, but since rice yields were nothigh due to pests and diseases he has given up the crop altogether and growsonly rau mop since it is “easier.”
"I just need to clean the grass. Every four days pickers will come andharvest it and then traders will come and buy it," he said.
The plant grows on its own again after being picked, and so there is no need toreplant it, he added.
He said locals now prefer to grow rau mop because it does not requiremuch work and brings a steady income.
Though there is plenty of demand for rau mop in the district andgreat potential for large-scale production, it is little known to people in HCMCity.
Households in Cu Chi still grow the plant on a small scale and do not worktogether to create a production network, according to Tran Trung Hieu, anofficial at the district economic bureau.
Rau mop growers have little knowledge of how to take care of the plant,and most of the time they treat it as a wild plant, he said.
“Rau mop can grow well on its own but during the rainy season, when pestsare active, growers do not know how to handle them. Some just spray pesticidesand wait to harvest just as they do with other crops.
“That leads to a decrease in yields.”
He said the district administration is working on establishing a cooperativeand nominating a person who can represent household growers to sign contractswith wholesale markets and other large consumers to ensure their output issold.
“Our main goal is to build a brand for rau mop and take it to majorsupermarkets and restaurants in HCM City.”
The city Department of Science and Technology is working with the Cu Chieconomic bureau and Trung An commune administration to study rau mop growing.
The department plans to use technology to improve the plant’s yield and qualityand market it.
Besides, it seeks to train growers in using technology to produce, process andsell the plant.
Then, it will bring together companies and growers to expand the market andattract investors to expand production.-VNA
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