Just outside Hanoi, Vietnam, a farmer grows rice on a small plot of land, the same way it’s been done for hundreds of years. Just beyond his parcel of land, a new, modern factory pumps out the latest Nokia mobile phones. This is where worlds collide.
This morning we woke up to a magical sunrise on Ha Long Bay. But soon it was time to move on, so we’re on our way to Noi Bai airport. Here, on the outskirts of Hanoi, a farmer’s land is apportioned based on the government’s assessment of need. My simplistic assumption is that a family with 4 kids will be allotted more land than a family with 2 kids.
So You Wanna Be a Rice Farmer?
In the South, economies of scale have made modernized means of rice production possible. But in this area, land allotments are small. Each farmer works his own parcel, growing mostly rice – the old way.
Before planting rice in the field, farmers plant rice seedlings in small seedbeds, then wait for the rains to come. Hopefully, the rains show up on time. When rain has flooded the fields, it’s time to prep the soil.
Farmers use water buffalo to break up the ground in the flooded fields. Water buffalo are the perfect solution for the task. They look skinny, but they’re strong. (Strong as an ox, you might say). They don’t get stuck in the mud like a tractor would. And – bonus – you get your field fertilized in the process.
Water buffalo do most of the work, but I’d imagine that after a day of guiding an iron plow behind a couple of water buffalo, a guy would be ready for a rest.
We Can Rest Later
Rest for the farmer will probably have to wait. He needs to plant the newly-sprouted seedlings in the field while it’s still flooded. That’s a job for everyone in the family. They plant seedlings by hand in rows so they’ll be easier to harvest – also by hand. Just thinking about it makes my back ache.
When pests come to ravage the crop, farmers put ducks to work out in the field. Ducks work cheap, eat pests like crazy, and bonus again – add more fertilizer.
When it’s time to harvest, out come the sickles. They’re razor-sharp, I’m sure. Get the family back out there to harvest the crop. The work is hard, but it would have been harder if they hadn’t planted in rows.
The harvested rice is thrashed by beating it or setting it out for water buffalo to trample on. Then it’s laid out in the sun to dry. They’ll burn what can’t be used, keeping the ashes. Ashes are good for the soil, so back into the field they’ll go. Nothing is wasted.
Where Worlds Collide
Meanwhile, a stone’s throw away, workers in a state-of-the-art factory assemble the latest 5G Nokia phones for sales worldwide. The farmer and his water buffalo make a sharp contrast to the factory looming over his little plot of land.
A few years ago, phones like these were manufactured across the border, in China. But times are changing, and labor rates in Vietnam are now competitive or even lower than those in China. The trend is for electronics and other goods formerly manufactured in China to be made in Vietnam.
I imagine most locals think construction of this factory is a good thing. Relatively well-paying, secure jobs boost the local economy and raise the standard of living in the area.
But my guess is that not everyone is a fan. The formerly pristine landscape is criss-crossed with power lines. Stinky fumes from factory traffic permeate the once-fresh country air. And who’s going to plant and harvest the crop if the kids are off working in a factory?
That, I don’t know. But I know that we’ve reached Noi Bai airport, and soon we’ll board a plane destined for Siem Reap, Cambodia. Grab your bags! And double-check your Cambodian visa!
To be continued…
Beautiful photo at the top of this post, credit: istockphoto/Sunan Wongsa-nga
