In Vietnam, near Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, there's an unusual farm doing a roaring trade - breeding crickets. It's an unusual sight at the Thanh Tung Cricket Farm, 25 km (16 miles) west of Ho Chi Minh City, where owner Le Thanh Tung raises hundreds of thousands of the flying insects in barrels to sell to restaurants or to other breeders in neighbouring provinces. In this country of 83 million with per capita annual income of just 640 U.S. dollars (USD), Tung's cricket business changed his life as his earnings rose way above average. His business grosses an estimated 90 million dong (5,625 USD) a month, before paying salaries to 12 workers and other costs. Tung said buyers pay between 250,000 dong (15 USD) and 450,000 dong (28 USD) per kg of crickets and he can sell about 300 kg a month. By comparison, one kg of chicken costs 70,000 dong (4 USD).
