Before dawn each day, a couple in their 60s ride across the countryside in search of grasshoppers - known locally as "flying shrimp" - to earn a living despite their age.
Before most people wake up, Ho Duc Thuyen, 67, and his wife, Truong Thi Nam, 64, are already loading their motorbike with homemade nets and setting off in search of grasshoppers - an insect affectionately known in Vietnam as "flying shrimp" because of its resemblance to shrimp when fried.
For the couple from Hoang Mai Ward, Nghe An Province, the daily journey is about much more than catching insects. It is the livelihood that has sustained them through their later years.
A new trade after construction work
Ho Duc Thuyen and Truong Thi Nam travel across rice fields in search of the delicacy known locally as "flying shrimp." Photo: T.T.
Their day begins at around 3 a.m., when they prepare their equipment before riding to rice fields in Phuc Loc Commune, more than 70 kilometers from home.
Because Thuyen has poor eyesight and does not have a driver's license, Nam takes the handlebars while her husband rides behind.
More than two decades ago, the pair earned a living as construction workers. As age and declining health made the physically demanding work increasingly difficult, they turned to hunting grasshoppers instead.
According to Nam, the work is tiring but offers one important advantage.
"It doesn't tie us to fixed hours," she says. "If we're tired, we can rest. When we feel better, we simply head back to the fields."
Sweeping the fields under the summer sun
Under the intense late-July heat, the couple quietly walks along irrigation channels and across harvested rice paddies.
With every step, they sweep long-handled nets close to the ground, gliding over rice stubble and patches of grass where grasshoppers gather.
Their equipment is remarkably simple.
Each net is attached to a bamboo pole about 2 meters long, allowing them to sweep across the fields without constantly bending over.
The oval-shaped opening, measuring roughly 70 to 100 centimeters wide, is reinforced with steel. A long white plastic bag, about 1 meter deep, funnels insects toward the bottom, where a mesh section allows air to circulate and keeps the catch alive.
"We also carry mesh bags on our hips to transfer the grasshoppers from the net," Nam explains. "We can't pack them too tightly. If there isn't enough air, they'll die and won't be suitable for sale."
The homemade nets are made from bamboo, plastic sheeting and mesh.
The funnel shape prevents the insects from escaping once they enter.
Every few dozen meters - or whenever the net becomes full - the couple lifts it upright, gathers the grasshoppers at the bottom and transfers them into mesh bags.
According to Thuyen, the harvesting season runs from shortly after the Lunar New Year until around the 11th lunar month, with the highest numbers appearing after rice harvests.
Turning an agricultural pest into income
The funnel-shaped design helps trap grasshoppers without harming them.Although grasshoppers are known for damaging crops, they are also a popular seasonal delicacy in Vietnam. Photo: T.T.
By around 11 a.m., when the fields become unbearably hot, the couple heads home to sort the catch.
Young grasshoppers are sold as feed for pet birds, while adult insects are supplied to restaurants and eateries, where they are considered a seasonal delicacy. Other insects collected in the nets become feed for chickens.
Depending on the season, grasshoppers sell for VND250,000 to VND280,000 per kilogram (US$9.50–10.70).
On a typical day, the couple catches about 3 kilograms, while particularly successful outings can yield up to 5 kilograms.
After deducting fuel and food expenses, they earn roughly VND600,000 to VND700,000 per day (US$23–27).
When local fields produce fewer grasshoppers, the couple often rides more than 100 kilometers into neighboring Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces to continue their search.
Now in their 60s, they remain devoted to the fields.
From before sunrise until the midday heat becomes unbearable, they patiently sweep every stretch of grass and every harvested paddy, exchanging long hours of hard work under the sun for the income that supports their daily lives.
Vietnamnet.vn
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