VietNamNet Bridge – There are some odd jobs in Hanoi and Saigon, which bring high income such as buffalo and cat breeding, bamboo leaf trading, watermelon carving and pet make-up.

Buffalo tending in the city

Many people would not expect to see herds of buffalos and cows in the center of bustling Saigon. More importantly, the 'shepherds' can earn tens of thousands of USD from this job.

The herds of buffalos and cows numbering hundreds of head are tended on open grounds in the wards of Cat Lai, Thanh My Loi, and An Phu in District 2, HCM City. 

Actually, the cattle are released free to graze. The owners come on motorcycles to round up the cattle and take them home in late afternoon.

Similarly, in Hanoi, a man named Nguyen Dinh Thien from Ha Dong district takes advantage of a 200 hectare grass plot, consisting of abandoned fields and idle projects, to tend 60-70 buffalos and cows worth around VND2 billion ($100,000). 

Watermelon carving

A watermelon shop on Hoang Minh Giam Road, Go Vap District, HCM City hires 5-6 artisans to carve watermelons.

Carved watermelons sell very well during the lunar new year, traditional festivals and the 1st and 15th day of lunar months.

Watermelons are carved with unique patterns such as dragons, phoenixes, scripts, etc.

A carved watermelon is priced VND450,000-VND550,000 (less than 10kg). The pay for carving is from VND100,000-VND200,000/melon, depending on the patterns. Watermelon carvers can earn tens of USD a day.

Selling bamboo leaves 

Many households in My Duc district, Hanoi and Doan Hung district in Phu Tho province can earn thousands to tens of thousands of USD each year.

Dang Thi Trieu, a woman in An Phu Commune, My Duc District, Hanoi earned several billion VND (tens of thousands of USD) annually from selling bamboo leaves. 

Trieu said she sold dried leaves for VND30,000 per kilo and VND7,000/kg of fresh leaves. Each year she exported 100-200 tons of bamboo leaves to Taiwan and Japan.

Making pens from bamboo

In 2006, Nguyen Duy Thang from Hoai Duc district, Hanoi entered Hanoi Open University to study graphic design. 

With an excellent degree, he was invited to teach graphic design at the university, but he refused.

Thang returned to his hometown to establish a small workshop producing bamboo pens.

He currently employs over 20 workers and over 200 stores selling his bamboo pens. 

With only VND3,000-VND5,000 for raw materials, he sells bamboo pens for VND20,000 - VND50,000/pen. Thang’s company earns annual turnover of nearly VND1 billion ($40,000).

Beauty services for pets

More beauty spas for pets have appeared in Hanoi and Saigon, where services for dogs and cats are more expensive than for humans.

At a spa for pets in HCM City, pet owners have to pay VND90,000-VND200,000/day ($4-10) for pet-sitting service, VND100,000 ($4.5) for ear and tail hair cut, VND200,000 ($9) for nail services, VND400,000-500,000 ($18-$23) for hair dying, and VND350,000 ($16) for eyelid lifting.

Earning $2,500 from cat breeding

Receiving an imported cat as a gift for his excellent study record from his mother when he was a 9th grader, Thanh Trung, 23, in Ha Dong District, Hanoi began having a passion to raise cats. 

After showing pictures of his four kittens on Facebook, many people asked to buy the kittens. Trung had the idea of raising imported cats for sale.

He bought two Persian cats and two Exotic cats from Russia for VND40 million ($2,000)/cat. After about 1 year, Trung had over 15 cats. 

The boy has 40 breeding cats and tens of kittens worth nearly $30,000.

Trung earns about $2,500 a month from selling cats.

Linh Nhat