To make the ginger fields even "sweeter"

Ky Son ginger has begun to gain a foothold in the market.

The dream of getting rich

One of the communes with the most ginger cultivation in Ky Son district is Na Ngoi commune. It can be said that ginger is a key crop driving economic development in this border commune. It's worth remembering that in 2019, after the ginger harvest, many families in Na Ngoi earned hundreds of millions of dong, instantly escaping poverty.

Because of the great potential of ginger, Ky Son district, Nghe An province, has submitted a dossier and received a Geographical Indication certificate for the product from the Intellectual Property Office ( Ministry of Science and Technology ). And because of this, the area planted with ginger in Ky Son district is constantly expanding. Indeed, wherever you go in the communes, across the hills, you can see the sight of ginger plants on the fields and plantations. Throughout the border region, in communes such as Bao Thang, Dooc May, Muong Long, Huoi Tu, Tay Son, Nam Can, Nam Can, Muong Ai, Muong Tip, Keng Du, Na Loi, Bac Ly, My Ly, and Na Ngoi, ginger plants have taken root on the mountain slopes and hillsides.

Previously, the area planted with ginger in Ky Son district was only 320-350 hectares, but in 2020 alone, the ginger area increased to 468 hectares, and now it has reached nearly 1,000 hectares.

The peak of ginger prices was in 2020, when the price skyrocketed from 33,000-35,000 VND/kg; at one point, it even reached 40,000 VND/kg, bringing tears of joy to the farmers.

The people are happy, but the leaders at all levels are ten times happier. Mr. Vi Hoè, Secretary of the Ky Son District Party Committee, said: "The people and we have come to see ginger as a crop that can help people escape poverty and gradually become wealthy. In reality, in many hilly areas, it would be very difficult to cultivate other crops if ginger were not grown due to the steep slopes."

Ky Son ginger has been selected as one of the three characteristic and representative products of the western region of Nghe An province. The reputation of Ky Son ginger is spreading further thanks to its quality and geographical indication… Proof of this is that many tons of ginger have crossed mountains and forests to reach many countries around the world .

Ginger is grown by the people of Ky Son on the slopes of the hills.

The pioneer who paved the way for Ky Son ginger to be exported is former soldier Nguyen Van Luan. Mr. Luan is currently a member of the Block 2 Branch of the Veterans Association in Muong Xen town, Ky Son district; and the Director of Huong Son Agricultural and Handicraft Service Cooperative (Huong Son Cooperative), Nghe An province.

The Huong Son Cooperative, led by veteran Nguyen Van Luan, is one of the largest units in Nghe An province in the procurement, consumption, and export of ginger. On average, the Huong Son Cooperative purchases over 1,000 tons of ginger annually and processes it to supply small traders for domestic consumption and export to markets in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and European countries.

Veteran Nguyen Van Luan shared: "This is the basis for people to actively produce, boost consumption, and affirm the Ky Son ginger brand in the market. To date, four communes have successfully grown ginger that meets the criteria of businesses exporting it abroad, including Tay Son, Ta Ca, Muong Long, and Dooc May. Based on that, Huong Son Cooperative has developed Ky Son ginger into an OCOP product to expand its market. In 2020, the 'Ky Son Ginger' product was awarded a 3-star OCOP product certificate by the People's Committee of Nghe An province."

To make the ginger fields even "sweeter"

There would be nothing to say if it weren't for the fact that, recently, the price of ginger in Ky Son has been low, making it difficult to sell. Especially in recent years, as people have expanded their planting area, the more harvested the product, the more difficult it becomes to meet demand. In some years, there have even been calls for a "rescue" campaign to help ginger farmers in the mountainous district of Ky Son.

Sorting and preliminary processing of ginger at Huong Son Agricultural and Handicraft Service Cooperative.

The difficulty in selling Ky Son ginger stems from several factors. In the ginger-growing areas of Ky Son district, every commune cultivates both ginger varieties (de and horn ginger). This mixed cultivation inevitably results in ginger tubers that are less visually appealing, making them difficult to sell and less desirable to discerning buyers, not to mention the differences in quality. Ky Son lacks processing plants, limiting its consumer market, yet it has expanded its cultivation area significantly, leading to oversupply and sales difficulties.

However, according to information from the district's agricultural department, the price of ginger fluctuates from 18,000-25,000 VND/kg from the Lunar New Year until the beginning of January each year; while during the season, the price is 12,000-15,000 VND/kg. At this price, ginger growers can feel secure in their production.

In reality, although Ky Son ginger has faced difficulties in sales at times, it remains an indispensable crop in people's daily lives, both in the short and long term, serving as a spice in meals and a medicinal herb, not only domestically but also worldwide.

To ensure the sustainable and efficient development of ginger cultivation in Ky Son, some economic experts believe that it is necessary to select good varieties and plan the area for planting ginger each year to ensure that all production is consumed; avoiding oversupply that would put ginger growers and management at all levels into a difficult situation requiring "rescue" efforts.

A crucial factor is establishing strong links with businesses inside and outside the province that have the capacity and qualifications to produce and market the products. Based on this, investors should be encouraged to build ginger essential oil and ginger powder processing plants in Nghe An, or ideally in Ky Son district, to facilitate expansion of production area, ensure stable and long-term production, create jobs, and generate income.

In addition, it is also necessary to organize training courses on ginger production techniques and intensive cultivation for the local people to ensure that they can produce high-quality ginger crops; especially, it is essential to organize effective promotion and introduction of the product through various media channels so that domestic and international customers are aware of it, buy it, and invest in production and processing…/.

The pioneer in exporting Ky Son ginger to the world market.

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/de-nhung-nuong-gung-them-ngot-1716796369133.htm