HCM CITY — With the local flood season underway a fishing net making village in Cần Thơ City is operating at full capacity.

Thơm Rơm Village in Thốt Nốt District’s Tân Hưng Ward, the largest fishing net producer in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta, has 40 household establishments that make nets and other fish-catching tools for export and 200 households that make nets for themselves.

The households use nylon and other synthetic materials to make the nets. 

The peak production time is during the annual floods in the Mekong starting in the seventh lunar month, but this year the floods have come earlier and with greater intensity than usual.

Floods bring in fish and other aquatic species so the demand for fishing nets and other tools for catching fish is high during the flood season.

Phạm Phước Tới, the owner of a net making workshop in the village, said the number of customers has increased by more than 30 per cent this year due to the greater intensity of the floods.

Tới, who has been in the business for more than 40 years, said he has had to hire more workers since the start of this month.  

“My family and more than 30 workers have to work overtime to meet demand.”

Some establishments also make and stock products before the flooding starts to meet the seasonal demand, he said.  

Nguyễn Thị Hương, who makes all kinds of fishing tools, said the production volume depends on the flood levels as do profits.

This year, the cost of labour and inputs increased by 10 per cent but fishing net producers said they have not increased prices.

Price thus remain unchanged at VNĐ55,000–800,000 (US$2.4-$35) each.

Besides continuing to make equipment for catching freshwater creatures, the village has also diversified in recent years into equipment for fishing at sea.

The village provides permanent work for around 700 people and part-time work for 500, according to the Tân Hưng Ward People’s Committee. 

Many school students work part-time during their summer vacation.

Each permanent worker earns VNĐ100,000-300,000 ($4.4-$13) a day.

In recent years, many producers have also invested in machines to increase production volumes and reduce costs.

The village’s products are sold domestically and also exported to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

It earns revenues of VNĐ40- 45 billion ($1.7 million-$2.2 million) a year, according to the Thốt Nốt District Economic Bureau.

Under a national programme, Tân Hưng Ward authorities have chosen the village’s products as the ward’s typical products. — VNS