Hanoi (VNA) - There was a time people in Phu Tan village, incentral Phu Yen province, thought sedge mat weaving, the region’s traditionalcraft, was going to die out. The old production method was labour intensive andinefficient.
That was when several villagers decided to pooltheir resources together to set up machines to help them out with mat weaving.With an initial investment of nearly 45,000 USD, they were able to set up twomachines and several years later the village has 10 machines working day andnight.
“There is still a market for our hand-madeproducts but most people prefer the machine-made ones. They are more durableand comfortable to use,” said Nguyen Van Phong, a villager who works one of themachines.
“They also require more material and therefore,more expensive. The hand-made mats are usually cheaper,” he added.
The 25-hectare sedge field is no longer enoughto provide the village with material for mat weaving. The village has beenbuying sedge from nearby villages for a few years now. There are plans toincrease sedge production to meet future demand by the mat weaving workshops.Local agriculture departments are working with farmers to expand the villagesedge field.
The village’s mats were selected as one of the13 traditional craft products to represent the province of Phu Yen.-VNA