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Visit the village of coconut fiber An Thanh on the Thom River

( Update: 14/12/2018 )

Follow the national road 60 direction Tra Vinh to the Thom market, the price is about 500m, tourists will come to the village producing coconut fiber An Thanh in Mo Cay Nam district, more than 20km from Ben Tre city. Call this village with the name dear trade village "gold only". It can be said, the village of coconut fiber An Thanh is the village "get rich". Opportunity to come to this village new visitors feel the bustle and vibrant, almost the village of coconut fiber An Thanh operating all year round non-stop.

In the footsteps of the Vietnam Television (VTV3)  is filmmaking team, I had a chance to visit the village of An Thanh coconut fiber. The first impression is the hospitality, enthusiasm and the essence of the people in the village. The tour of the craft village began, our team rent a cruise ship of tourism company Nam Bo running on the poetic river Thom bearing the weight of soil and love the land of coconut, such as is a witness to the ups and downs of the hard-working people who have spent years in this village. The first impression on our eyes was that the two sides were close together, and the Thom River was the place where coconut peels were always filled with the laughter of the coconut workers. Each boat was full of coconuts, the air began to hasten, the passers-by, counting, less than 2 hours a boat full of coconuts have transferred all the coconut to the shore, and the coconut shredder from private ready for his work. Here, one particular thing is the job of coconut peeling in the village only coconut fiber gathered many women.

Picture 1: Coconut boat dock

Through research, this is a new village developed later and there are satellites scattered across the province, especially in areas with much coconut. But mainly in An Thanh commune - Mo Cay Nam. The village of An Thanh coconuts is located on the Thuong River, so there are many favorable conditions to transport coconut by water. Ben Tre people have long used to create coconut products such as coconut shells, coconut shells, coconut leaves .... Serving in traditional crafts, to build houses, cuisine, industrial products from coconut trees. Coconut is transformed into many products are very rich and diverse. But in particular, in the village only coconut An Thanh is producing coconut fiber products only to export to the country. Only coconut fiber has many different types such as mattress, sclerosis, weaving carpet, carpet mat, carpet ... Currently, these products are exported to Korea, India, Malaysia and China. , ...

Although the price of coconuts is declining today, coconut fiber production facilities along the Thom River are bustling and growing, contributing to the employment of more than 3,000 workers, creating production value. accounting for more than 40% of the total export turnover of the province. Come to the village of An Thanh gold thread, on the tourist train we caught the image of the coconut plantation and buying coconut fruit, dried coconut fiber, stretching and stretching across the Thom River, each seat full Coconuts to coconut and each coconut is transferred to the shore, each facility has over 20 workers coconut peels, especially female workers, watching the hands stretched stripped coconut purely. I am really impressed, talked to Hong Cuc a worker coconut in An Thanh - Mo Cay Nam, she said: "Her work started at 2am the morning before noon. At 12h on the next day, she worked out about 1,800 coconuts, earning about 300-400 thousand VND per working day. i struggled and spent a lot of effort, but she said that this work has been with her more than ten years now, so what is so now. "

Photo 2: Workers are splitting coconut shell

Curious and interested in learning about how to make coconut husks, Hongkou pointed out that the coconut shells are a kind of hardened iron knife fixed on a stable pole. Each coconut was hand-picked by her quick and skillful hands. Ms. Cuc said that peeled 200 coconuts are 40 thousand, each peeled about 1500-1800 per day, income about 300-400 thousand. Although the daily wage is higher than that of a rural worker, it is not always available when coconut is used by the owner. earning money to cover daily life, Cuc confided.

Coming to the coconut fiber village, we film crew continued to record the coconut fiber, in the hot sun 11 noon, far away still glistening the people exposed to coconut fiber is scraping, sweeping Sweep, quick hand to keep dry. Along the Thuong River wharf at the tide, two pairs of riverside in An Thanh commune are always crowded, bustling boats carrying coconuts, coconut shells from neighboring provinces to no other than a floating market to buy sell coconut in the river. Coconut boats transported back to the village supplying raw materials to the muscles of the coconut shells. Coir production only.

To learn about coconut weaving, we have an opportunity to interview Mr. Dao Thanh Ngoc- Manager of coconut shredding Hai Tien, he shared: "After peeled coconut finished, there will be a group for coconut shell into the machine This group of people work in the evening, because most coconut coir-making facilities have switched from using oil to electric machines to break coconut shells. Coconut coir is working during the day because it is very sunny when it is drying, it is convenient for drying in the rainy season, because the weather is not favorable. Exposure time is 3-4 people, good sun only in the day, each "natural" workers receive more than 200,000 VND.

Photo 3: Coconut shell is applied to the coconut fiber

In the village of coconut fiber An Thanh also have adjacent satellites follow the stage, there are households buy coconut fruit to split the shell sold to the production of coconut fiber only, the remaining classified: coconut for sale Big ships transported to Ho Chi Minh City, the smaller ones are separated from rice for sale to the coconut shredder business, coconut shells for sale to coal-producing enterprises, establishments producing coconut and fine art handicrafts. for coconut jelly production base. Coming to An Thanh commune, we are not surprised to see the home, the people do only coir. According to the villagers, the life of many people is better, many households become rich and more and more coconut fiber production base is growing.

Along with the film crew we recorded the report about the village only coir of riverside Tran Thi Minh Chien - Vice Chairman of An Thanh Commune People is Committee said: "The coconut fiber business is very long, the people here Imported mainly from coconut fiber, besides breeding pigs and cows and agricultural economy, creating a stable source of income and improving the quality of life, coconut fiber has contributed to the economic restructuring of agriculture. improve the quality of life for people in this village, contributing to the construction of new rural areas.

Up to now, the trade village of An Thanh commune has over 90 small coconut production establishments scattered in hamlets in the commune. It is known that every day, an average production base of more than 10 tons only dry and 3-4 tons only wet. Larger facilities with more than 25 workers can produce from 20 to 25 tons only. The coconut fiber industry not only brings high income to the owner but also to the laborers, because of the increasing demand for this kind of coconut. Income to cover family life and can care for children is education, raising the educational level of the local. In addition to making coconut fiber, labor here also increased income by coconut husk, transport coconut, coconut shells, coconut husk ... Talk with Nguyen Tan Quoc, workers produce coconut fiber An Thanh bien "In the past, family life has been difficult, since the coconut fiber has become more and more family life, the couple is life has been more and more stable and their children are able to go to school. , raising a little capital to buy two additional pigs for economic development. In general, the handicraft village of An Thanh not only creates income and stable jobs for local laborers, but also brings high economic value and contributes to socio-economic development of the commune.

Picture 4: The coir is dried and tied

With the idle occupation, but good income, the coconut fiber industry is attracting many rural laborers and many families are well off. Along the two sides of the Vam Thom River, many spacious houses, red roofs hidden in the green coconut trees and fruit trees, bridges are also concretized into hamlet. In the midst of modern rhythms, the industriousness of the human beings is still closely tied to the coconut fiber industry like the homeland.