A Hue farmer has switched low-lying, poorly drained poor paddy to lotus (sen) and is earning returns far above rice cropping. Le Thi Hoai Uyen of Phu Bai expanded lotus planting from 2 ha to more than 15 ha, and the family's annual income reached about 1 billion VND (about JPY 5.9 million at about 170 VND per JPY 1). Land that would not yield with rice turned into a lotus field whose seeds, leaves and rhizomes can all be sold. This conversion is a clue for Japanese buyers seeking health ingredients such as lotus seeds and lotus tea to understand how a producing region grows.
Lotus grows in the flooded conditions where rice struggles, turning poor paddy into earnings
Across the Hue area spread paddies where rice yields do not rise because the terrain is low and water does not drain. Lotus, in fact, favors flooded conditions and grows where rice struggles. Truong Duy Hoa of Phong Dien harvests about 9 tonnes of lotus seeds a year from a 3-ha lotus field, with profit per hectare said to reach about 120 million VND (about JPY 710,000). In several areas, including Phong Dien, Phu Bai and Huong Tra, the same switch from rice to lotus is advancing.
Revenue of 50-90 million VND per hectare, 3-5 times rice cropping, with multiple products from one plant
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Revenue per crop (average) | 50-90 million VND (about JPY 290,000-530,000) |
| Comparison with rice cropping | 3-5 times |
| Top farmer's profit (Mr. Hoa) | About 120 million VND (about JPY 710,000) |
| Lotus seed harvest (Mr. Hoa, 3 ha) | About 9 tonnes a year |
By Hue agricultural extension's tallies, lotus revenue per crop averages 50-90 million VND per hectare, 3-5 times rice cropping. Not only is the unit price high, but lotus yields multiple products from one plant. From seeds (hat sen), flowers (hoa sen) and leaves (la sen) to rhizomes (ngo sen and cu sen), the buyers differ by part. The move to direct low-yield paddy toward lotus and tourism is also happening in Da Nang (Low-profit paddies turn to lotus and tourism: building a growing area in Dai An, Da Nang), and the fact that the supply source does not depend on a single point is a reassurance for the Japanese procurement side.
Do not lump it as 'Hue lotus'; decide the target part and processing stage first
Seen from the Japanese side, lotus has three points of use. Lotus seeds enter as a raw material for dried goods and bean paste in Japanese and Chinese ingredients; lotus leaves as material for lotus tea and blended tea; and rhizomes as a food ingredient, each with a different entry point. Lotus seeds and lotus tea in particular lend themselves to a region's story on the health-oriented shelf, and the regional name Hue can itself function as a brand. What the procurement side should confirm, however, is that the processing operator differs by part. Drying and de-bittering of seeds, drying and cutting of leaves, and freshness retention of stems each require different technology and equipment. which part, at which processing stage, to buy Unless this is decided at the outset, you will choose the wrong supplier.
The wall to expansion is seasonality; year-round supply needs a design for processing and collection
While expanding lotus fields pushes up the supply volume of raw material, the harvest period is limited and both seeds and leaves lose freshness easily. To run it year-round for Japan requires preservation processing such as drying and freezing, and a collection system that brings multiple farmers together. The case near Ho Chi Minh City of turning acidic soil where rice would not grow into a guava orchard (Turning acid soil where rice won't grow into a guava orchard: a VietGAP conversion near Ho Chi Minh City), as with it, the success of a crop conversion is decided less by 'can it be grown' than by 'can it be sold out.' Note that a lotus field also becomes a tourism venue in the flowering season, letting the farmer earn income from both produce and experiences. The point that tourism income makes the business more stable and raises the continuity of supply takes effect for Japanese procurement. The way of selling an ingredient through a story is also spreading in the central region (Why do Da Nang makers sell their ingredients through 'story'), and lotus rides easily on that context. Because some regions, however, lead with the story but lack accompanying quality control, you should always separate the appeal of the story from the inspection system and verify them apart.
Narrow to lotus seeds or lotus tea, and ask for inspection records and an annual supply plan
If you explore a point of contact, first narrow to one target part. For lotus seeds, check dryness, grain size, whether de-bittering was done, and residual-pesticide inspection records; for lotus tea, check the leaves' drying conditions and hygiene management. Because the harvest period is limited for both, it is safer to have the annual planting plan and processing capacity shared early. In areas where extension workers are involved in building sales channels, consulting at the area level rather than the individual-farm level is the shortcut.
