As vegetable prices have continued to rise after Tet, concerns over vegetable quality have also arisen after rumors of toxic chemicals being used to make vegetables grow rapidly and wild trees are now being used as vegetable alternatives.

 

Sau sau leaves are now being sold at every market in the city of Lang Son, Lang Son province like Dong Kinh, Ky Lua, Gieng Vuong and Chi Lang.

 

Hoang Thi Luu, a Nung ethnic minority girl from Gia Cat commune, Cao Loc district, said she plucks sau sau leaves on the hill in the back of her house to sell at Ky Lua market in Lang Son city. She sells each small bundle of sau sau for VND5,000 and earns around VND150,000 per day.

 

Luu said she also sold sau sau leaves last year, but was only earning VND1,000 to VND2,000/bundle. She also said that sau sau leaves are good for health and ethnic minority people use sau sau for its medicinal qualities.

 

Besides sau sau, other wild trees like pennywort, rau xuong ca (stellaria aquatica) and wild tea are also being sold, priced at VND1,000 to VND2,000 per bunch.

 

Lang Thi Mit, 46, a Nung woman, from Cam village in Hoa Cu commune, Cao Loc district, Lang Son province also sold wild leaves at Gieng Vuong market in Lang Son City. She said the cold weather killed vegetable crops so wild trees are substituting. Each day she earns VND40,000-50,000 from wild trees.

 

“Urban people say my wild trees are safe so they still buy them even though the price is higher,” Mit said.

 

(Source: Tien Phong)

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