Hyacinth in craft technology

 

Perhaps throughout the Southern water region is the land of hyacinth flowers. Almost water hyacinth blooms throughout the four seasons. Even in the flood season, the water level rise and the silt alluvium, water hyacinth is still green and blooms. But in the late winter and spring is the season of water hyacinth blooming. Looking at the blooming flower, suddenly evoked in the mind of visitors: the water hyacinth purple flower / Life follows the water floating in the early afternoon ...

In recent years, whenever the water hyacinth flowers are blooming, the people in the Southern River region start to celebrate, because nature gives them the source of materials to do business. People in the Mekong Delta no longer regard the water hyacinth as another wild plant, but have become a source of raw materials for the production of handicraft items from water hyacinth stems. This profession is "booming", has just increased household economic income, job creation when idle, has contributed to solving environmental problems in the river.

For a long time, although water hyacinth plants are prolific, develop, everywhere, flowers are so beautiful, but still considered as "drifting clouds", rarely exploited and used effectively. Many places also consider water hyacinth as "environmental painting", obstructing waterway traffic, obstructing the flow on canals, salvaging into piles of doing nothing, adding environmental pollution. Yet, from 2000 until now, for 7 years, the products that are woven from water hyacinth have become valuable export products, favored by many countries. A document of botanical research at Can Tho University shows that: Water hyacinth, scientific name is Eichlornia crasspes (Ponterediaceae). This type in the North and Central is called the water hyacinth, Japanese duckweed, but not lush, the stalk is not long and hard with the water hyacinth of the Southern region. The aquatic plants seem to be the only thing to be discarded, now becoming "poverty reduction plants" in the Mekong Delta, creating jobs for tens of thousands of people, earning more profits through exports. The products such as root, roots, water hyacinth leaves bring many benefits, high quality and economic efficiency for the production of straw mushroom and organic fertilizer.

The first person to abandon the research to turn water hyacinth plants from weeds on the river into the main export products is Mr. Trieu Vinh Thinh, living at Tet Mau Than Than street, ward 4, My Tho city (Tien Giang). Mr. Thinh is the owner of Vinh Thinh industrial and handicraft production base, specializing in knitting and weaving household products from banana peels, squash and rush to export. In early 2000, Mr. Thinh sent some tiny products that were woven from water hyacinth to foreign markets to explore consumer tastes in foreign markets. Due to the better calculation of water hyacinth, foreign customers started to know about Vinh Thinh facility, they set him to make many kinds of handicrafts. So far, Vinh Thinh facility has produced products such as lampshades, seat cushions, mats, carpets, baskets, kitchen cabinets, slippers in the bedroom. If the sandals were previously made of dried banana peels that had many advantages compared to other types of sandals, the sandals made of water hyacinths made foreign buyers more interested in their effects. It was the one who wore the water hyacinth sandals that felt soft and light. For ladies, water hyacinth sandals have the meaning to protect beautiful feet during indoor activities ... The products are woven, braided from hyacinth stalks increasing the number of export orders to Japan Edition, Korea, Taiwan, Netherlands, Germany, Russia. The prices of these new products range from 6 to 18 dollars each. Vinh Thinh facility currently attracts more than 2,300 employees, most of them are women and children of poor families. Annual export turnover is about 1.2 million USD. Only from mats, night lights, kitchen cabinets, slippers, carpets ... made from water hyacinth, banana peels,

Mr. Thinh said: 
-Maybe I am affectionate with these wild plants. Before coming to the hyacinth, I "made friends" with the banana tree.Looking at the bananas thrown away, I feel very sorry. You have to do something to avoid wasting "banana barks" heaven. Then I tried to take the fiber of banana peel to make a bag. After the handbag, a series of other banana products such as hammock, shoes, seats ... were born in turn ... Now my handicraft facilities are mainly making goods. Export from water hyacinth stalks. Craft products that want to compete and export are not only beautiful in form but quality must be good. For example, shoes made of water hyacinth materials are light, cool, but also have a medical effect, so customers are very popular. Or as a hammock made from banana peel and water hyacinth stalks have the effect of absorbing heat, so the people lying in the shirt do not get sweat ... To get these products, raw material processing is the most important. The water hyacinth picked up from the river or planted must have a minimum length of 50cm, the root must be white and not alum. Before being dried, cut off all roots and then process.Demand for handmade products from banana peels, water hyacinth is very large ...

In Tien Giang, there are a number of handicraft cooperatives (cooperatives) that have been enriched by producing goods from water hyacinths. Like Quang Minh Cooperative doing business no less than Vinh Thinh facility. Mr. Cao Dung Khanh, Chairman of Quang Minh Cooperative, said: Co-operatives soon succeeded because water hyacinth products are favored by foreign customers. In addition, the cooperative promotes the promotion of products to foreign markets through fairs and handicrafts of domestic and foreign handicrafts such as Giang Vo fair (Hanoi), Megashow fair (Hong Kong), and associations. Nam Ninh market (China), Paris fair (France), Frankfurt fair (Germany) ...

Ms. Huynh Ngoc Bich, Chairman of Ngoc Bich Handicraft Cooperative (Soc Trang), recounted that the co-operative precursor was only a production base of plastic baskets to supply markets in Mekong Delta with fish and shrimp.Then, during a tour of the handicraft market in Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Bich discovered handicraft products from water hyacinth and banana peels that are attracting customers, while the local There are many sources of this material.Since then, she decided to establish a cooperative, gather vocational training workers to make water hyacinth. With a hardworking and skillful workforce and with capital support from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies to buy raw materials for production, Ngoc Bich Cooperative quickly rose up. The output of cooperatives' products is covered.Currently, in addition to Soc Trang province, Ngoc Bich Cooperative also develops craft satellites with water hyacinth,The bananas are banished to neighboring provinces such as Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Kien Giang and Hau Giang ... The number of laborers from about 200 people was originally increased to over 4,000. Ms. Huynh Ngoc Bich said: "Thanks to the craft of weaving water hyacinth and banana, many households have reduced their poverty and have accumulated more and less money. Hopefully, Ngoc Bich cooperative will develop further to solve the problem. make more workers ".

In recent years, the export of handicraft products made of water hyacinth and banana in the Mekong Delta (Mekong Delta) has developed very strongly. Currently, almost all provinces and cities in the region have this product. Because not only can we take advantage of the natural resources of nature, but also bring a considerable amount of foreign currency and contribute to poverty reduction in rural areas. 

Previously, handicraft products in the Mekong Delta were mainly from rattan, bamboo and bamboo, but now they have given way to items made of water hyacinth, banana peel ... From these materials, through skillful hands The workers' skills become beautiful products such as handbags, wine baskets, carpets, shelves, cabinets, tables and chairs ... Currently, these "environmentally friendly products" are being received by customers. Out of favor.

Last year, private enterprise Da Ly Huong in District 2 (Ho Chi Minh City), customers of some handicraft establishments in Tien Giang, Ben Tre and Dong Thap have entrusted to entrust through Haprosimex Saigon Company. In Europe, shipments of more than 4,500 baskets are made of water hyacinth and banana peels worth nearly US $ 16,000. The shipment consists of three new basket models designed by Da Ly Huong combining water hyacinth and banana stalks, adding materials such as leather, cloth, snail shells for handbags, decorative patterns, baskets that have been well-received by customers. bulk order countries. Through Haprosimex Saigon, Da Ly Huong sells baskets with balm and banana to Europe worth 15,000 - 40,000 USD each month.

In addition to using selected materials from quality hyacinth stems to make valuable handicrafts for export, the whole root, stem, root, leaf of water hyacinth is also used. to make mushroom planting material, make organic fertilizer very well. The meritorious discoverer of this new use of water hyacinth is Mr. Hai Thuy, in Binh Phong Thanh commune, Moc Hoa district, Long An province. Meeting Mr. Hai Thuy, he was heaping heaps of water hyacinth that had just been picked up from Vam Co Dong river to the shore, we asked: 
- So many water hyacinths , all but every time, then take them to use? 
Mr. Hai smiled:
- What is so much, the wise person is hard, then it is over. But the water hyacinth tree grows, grows very fast, along this river bank like floating forest. At present, there is still a lot of exploitation, but many people, many places to exploit, will become scarce.

Mr. Hai Thuy said that, when transplanting straw mushrooms on straw and bagasse, he made some embryos (spawn) on the water hyacinth along the canal, saw that the mushroom grew quickly, he was very happy. Looking at the water hyacinth floating on the river, Mr. Hai Thuy came up with the idea of using this material to grow mushrooms. After a period of trial and error, he finally succeeded in growing mushrooms on dried water hyacinths. Because the characteristics of water hyacinth grow in water very soft, spongy, very flexible when brought to the shore to dry and keep moisture for a long time, very suitable for the hydrophilic properties of mushrooms. Straw mushrooms grown on dry hyacinth reduce the amount of irrigation water and the amount of spawn. As a result, the mushroom yield was quadrupled compared to traditional mushroom cultivation on rice straw. The quality of mushrooms is tempered by superior hyacinth, This type of straw seems to be much better than that of rice straw, especially in terms of crispness and is determined to be very nutritious and non-toxic. According to Mr. Hai Thuy, from 01kg of dry compostable water hyacinth to produce 20,000 straw mushroom coins. After harvesting straw mushrooms, water hyacinth will continue to be brewed to make organic fertilizer for plants, plants grow very well, many gardeners come to buy this fertilizer to fertilize the tree. So from the wild aquatic grass, even thought to be harmful to the ecological environment, water hyacinth has become useful, bringing economic benefits to farmers. A food company in Ho Chi Minh City Chi Minh told him: Straw mushroom grown on water hyacinth for big, fragrant, rich in nutrients, non-toxic. Mr. Hai Thuy also added: According to Mr. Hai Thuy, from 01kg of dry compostable water hyacinth to produce 20,000 straw mushroom coins. After harvesting straw mushrooms, water hyacinth will continue to be brewed to make organic fertilizer for plants, plants grow very well, many gardeners come to buy this fertilizer to fertilize the tree. So from the wild aquatic grass, even thought to be harmful to the ecological environment, water hyacinth has become useful, bringing economic benefits to farmers. A food company in Ho Chi Minh City Chi Minh told him: Straw mushroom grown on water hyacinth for big, fragrant, rich in nutrients, non-toxic. Mr. Hai Thuy also added: According to Mr. Hai Thuy, from 01kg of dry compostable water hyacinth to produce 20,000 straw mushroom coins. After harvesting straw mushrooms, water hyacinth will continue to be brewed to make organic fertilizer for plants, plants grow very well, many gardeners come to buy this fertilizer to fertilize the tree. So from the wild aquatic grass, even thought to be harmful to the ecological environment, water hyacinth has become useful, bringing economic benefits to farmers. A food company in Ho Chi Minh City Chi Minh told him: Straw mushroom grown on water hyacinth for big, fragrant, rich in nutrients, non-toxic. Mr. Hai Thuy also added: Many gardeners came to buy this fertilizer to fertilize the tree. So from the wild aquatic grass, even thought to be harmful to the ecological environment, water hyacinth has become useful, bringing economic benefits to farmers. A food company in Ho Chi Minh City Chi Minh told him: Straw mushroom grown on water hyacinth for big, fragrant, rich in nutrients, non-toxic. Mr. Hai Thuy also added: Many gardeners came to buy this fertilizer to fertilize the tree. So from the wild aquatic grass, even thought to be harmful to the ecological environment, water hyacinth has become useful, bringing economic benefits to farmers. A food company in Ho Chi Minh City Chi Minh told him: Straw mushroom grown on water hyacinth for big, fragrant, rich in nutrients, non-toxic. Mr. Hai Thuy also added:
- Mushrooms made from water hyacinth are less expensive than straw. Time to keep moisture for a long time, less watering, less costly. But finding materials is becoming more and more difficult because water hyacinth is increasingly economically valuable.

At the end of the floating season, it is also the time to cut the carpet drying hyacinth of farmers in Binh Phuoc commune, Mang Thit district (Vinh Long) and neighboring communes. There are more than 50 families living by weaving carpets from dry hyacinth. In addition to rice cultivation, this is the job of creating additional income at leisure.A kilo of dried hyacinth sells from 7,000 VND to 9,000 VND. A person can earn tens of kilograms of raw water hyacinth, average income of over 70,000 VND. Currently, other localities in Hau Giang, Soc Trang, An Giang, Dong Thap and Long An also raise the movement of exploiting water hyacinth trees to cut and sell them as raw materials for handicrafts, making mushrooms and composting. Organic fertilizers replace chemical fertilizers, crop productivity is improved, environment is less polluted, input costs are low, lowering production costs, more sources of clean vegetables and clean fruits.

Water hyacinth is considered a valuable and valuable material for handicraft production and also in agriculture, which is considered a "new discovery of the 21st century", because it was exploited and used from the beginning. In the flood season in 2000. If only relying on natural exploitation, this material source will be quickly depleted. The field of botanical research, industrial promotion agencies, agricultural extension agencies and other relevant agencies need to invest in research to have long, long-stemmed hyacinths, increase the toughness, flexibility, durability, and increase the output of mining. waterfall. It is recommended to popularize water hyacinth planting into sustainable raw material areas, at the same time protect and exploit plan, effectively manage the water hyacinth source in the nature of the Southern region.