Trader Truong Hong An in Chau Thanh District of Ben Tre Province said: "It is now the season of termite mushrooms which is crowned the king of all mushrooms, but it is very scarce despite the high price of VND1.2- VND1.4 million per kilogram.
When the rain persists over several days, this species of termite secretes an enzyme around their nest. Once the sun comes out, the mushrooms shoot up from this area in patches that are sometimes several meters long.
The fungus grows naturally, so traders of the vegetable are not sure of its yield. From the beginning of the crop until now, An has only collected 0.5kg of mushrooms. Normally, the termite mushroom season will end in the 6th lunar month, the price of termite mushroom will drop to VND600,000- VND700,000 a kilogram or even VND200,000- VND300,000 a kilogram at the end of the rainy season.
A termite mushroom season is about three months, on average, people can harvest as much as 2-4kg a day, mainly in high mounds of Giong Trom, Cho Lach, Mo Cay Nam and Mo Cay Bac districts.
Currently, some people can grow termites, but the taste is not as good as natural mushrooms.
