Return to Nghe country to enjoy the famous “unique” hamster meat
Yen Thanh rice district (Nghe An) has long been associated with the nickname “rat meat people”, because this
Yen Thanh rice district, Nghe An has long been famous for rat meat. When rat meat became a popular dish, hunting and trading rats also brought a good source of income for the people.
For generations, rats have been considered pests, the germ of many diseases, the agent that destroys crops and needs to be eradicated. In order to limit the destruction of crops by rats, people have used many measures such as rat poison, raising cats, and even using electric traps… but they could not stop the growth and proliferation of this rodent.
For people in the rice countryside of Yen Thanh, Nghe An, when rat meat becomes a dish, even a “specialty” dish, farmers also look at mice with different eyes. From using mice as food and drinking bait, now mouse hunting is becoming an extra income job for many people.
After days of rain and floods, the water in the fields rose, causing the field mice to find high places to avoid or hide in burrows in the fields. This is the right time for rat hunters to practice.
Tools for hunting rats include a hoe, a bucket for water and a bag for the mouse. Currently, people expand hunting areas and use more modern traps and cages.
According to experienced hunters, if you want to catch mice effectively, you must know the behavior of the mouse and choose a reasonable hunting time.
Around July-October every year, mouse hunting in Yen Thanh district is very busy. This job is now considered as the main occupation that not only helps people earn good money but also contributes to crop protection.
After a day of hunting, Mr. and Mrs. Le Van Thoa (40 years old, in Hon Nen hamlet, Ma Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) caught nearly 80kg of rats. With the selling price of 30,000 VND/kg, minus expenses and gasoline, he and his wife earned more than 2 million VND.
“The job is said to be simple but also very hard. Now hunting mice is not only during the day, but we have to go through the night to set traps. In the past, we often went to catch mice to make food, drink, drink, etc. Now there is a purchasing facility, so hunting mice becomes a job to earn extra income,” said Mr. Thoa happily.
Like Mr. and Mrs. Thoa, after the Winter-Spring crop, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong (residing in Duc Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) and two friends contributed capital to buy rat hunting tools to practice.
According to Mr. Phuong, after the rice harvest, rats reproduce a lot. During the day, people often use a hoe to dig or pour water into the cave so that the rats can suffocate and get out, and at night they set traps. As a type of “eating at night, sleeping during the day”, hunting mice at night is often less productive.
“On average, each day, my two friends and I catch 100kg of rats. Except for the cost, each person also pocketed nearly a million dong. Hunting mice is a seasonal job, so this time we took advantage of this time to earn more. income for the family”, Mr. Phuong added.
Tho Bang village, Duc Thanh commune is considered the center of hunting and trading rats with the largest scale in Yen Thanh district. Taking advantage of their leisure time, hundreds of people buy tools and spread out to catch mice everywhere.
Mr. Cung Dinh Than’s rat collection facility (Village 1 – Tho Bang, Duc Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) these days is always busy with people coming to import goods. The owner of the facility said that the supply is increasing after rain and flood. On average, he imports a ton of rats every day to bring to the northern provinces for consumption.
Previously, Tho Bang was known as the famous “rat meat village” in the rice countryside of Yen Thanh. Initially, people hunted rats to minimize the destruction of crops and crops. After a while, the hunted mice were sold and sold, attracting the attention of many locals. Many families have had a high income from this rodent business .
Also according to the owners of the purchasing establishments, one day people from Yen Thanh and Dien Chau districts brought a ton of rats to sell. After that, the mice will be distributed in the northern provinces on the same day. In addition, when people have demand, the establishment also makes meat on the spot for sale.
Chairman of Duc Thanh Commune People’s Committee Ha Huy Cong said that there are 2,700 households with over 9,000 people in the area. Most people of working age regularly hunt rats to earn extra income. There are 3 establishments in the commune that collect 0.5-1 ton of rats per day on average.
“The field of hunting has existed for a long time. In the past, people used to fish with rudimentary tools and then return to sell locally. Currently, people have expanded the fishing area, using traps and cages. Thanks to that, many households in the area have had a decent income and developed the family economy”, Mr. Cong added.
