Salt farming is a time-consuming, physically taxing job which does not earn well in times of slumping prices in Vietnam.

The job is also subject to climate change, with the scorching sun being the most auspicious for farmers to produce white, big salt grains with strong taste.

Strange as it may seem, the physically demanding job is generally undertaken by women. To enhance productivity and salt collection, farmers have made use of carts to carry salt loads.

One cannot see farmers’ faces, as they are covered in clothing from head to toe to shield them from the baking sun.

With conical hats on their heads and loads of collected salt on their shoulders, the farmers walk gracefully, casting shadows on the fields.

After being collected, raw salt will be further cleaned and stored in warehouses.

The white crystals will leave the warehouses and be transported to factories for refinement before reaching consumers.

A salt farming crop typically begins in March and ends in September. 

Harvest time is the much awaited, exciting occasion as most farmers in Hon Khoi, Nha Trang, will gather then, working together and laughing their exhaustion out loud.   

During harvest time, visitors are treated to stunning spectacles of flawlessly white salt fields dotted with workers. 

Below are a series of photos by Pham Doan Trieu showing how farmers deal with their tough job.

These photos were one of the entries to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper's year-long competition themed “Vietnam – Country – People" concluding in October last year.

A salt farming crop typically begins in March.

A moment of tranquility in the salt fields

Dawn is the most exciting time in the salt fields.

A man collects his hard-earned salt.

Collected salt piles up in the fields.

A woman visits her salt field in the early morning.

The salt workers’ relaxing moments after laborious toil

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