VietGAP Garlic: Difficult output

In recent years, garlic growers in Ninh Hoa town in particular and the whole province in general have had to endure uncertain and unstable output. The successful establishment of the VietGAP garlic model in Ninh Son commune is expected to improve the situation. However, in the short term, the output for garlic is still difficult.

More than 5 hectares of VietGAP garlic

After a long period of fully complying with the garlic production process that meets the standards, in early March, more than 5 hectares of garlic with an output of more than 50 tons/crop/year of 9 households of the Ninh Son Garlic Growing Cooperative were granted a certificate of product cultivation in accordance with the National Standards on Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) by the competent authority. Mr. Dao Quang Hoc - Head of the Ninh Son Garlic Growing Cooperative said that he and his members have been attached to garlic for many years. At its peak, his family had up to 5 hectares of garlic. Previously, garlic sold at a relatively good price, and was sold out as soon as it was produced. However, in the past 5 years, garlic consumption has begun to face difficulties and has become increasingly unstable. Currently, his family only maintains 1 hectare of garlic. With the desire to improve product quality, which can help stabilize output, the members of the cooperative decided to grow VietGAP garlic.

Mr. Dao Quang Hoc dries garlic.

Mr. Vu Van Tam - Chairman of Ninh Son Commune Farmers' Association said that in addition to 9 garlic growing households achieving VietGAP certification on 5 hectares, the association has recently coordinated with the town's Plant Protection Station to open a training course on garlic growing techniques for farmers for 3 months. At the same time, the Ninh Son Commune Garlic Growing Cooperative Group was supported with a loan of 350 million VND for households to improve the garlic growing process to meet safety criteria.

However, in the recent garlic harvest season, the purchase price of garlic in Ninh Son in particular and the whole province in general was unstable, with large fluctuations. “At the beginning of the season, traders bought 40-50 thousand VND/kg of fresh garlic. But in the main season, the price of garlic not only decreased sharply but also consumed slowly. Some households dried and stored garlic, waiting for the price to increase before selling. Most of the remaining households had to sell even though the price was low because the deadline to pay for fertilizer debt had come,” said Mr. Dao Quang Hoc.

Farmers expect output support

It is a fact that garlic prices always fluctuate quite a lot. Right now, beautiful garlic with even grains and enough dryness can be sold for 70,000 VND/kg. But what is beautiful, grade 1, 2, 3 garlic mainly depends on the senses and experience of the buyer. Not to mention, grade 1 garlic is sold for 60,000 - 70,000 VND/kg, while grade 2 garlic is only sold for 20,000 - 25,000 VND/kg. The ratio of beautiful - ugly garlic of each farming household is also different, so even though the yield is 10 tons/ha, some households sell for more than 500 million VND, while others only get about 300 million VND. Asking a farmer who is sorting garlic in village 1, Ninh Son commune, she said that garlic is mainly divided into 2 types, type 1 beautiful garlic accounts for about 65% of the output, the rest is type 2 garlic. Regarding dryness, whether the garlic has been dried for 20 or 25 days depends mostly on experience and senses. Type 1 beautiful garlic and type 1 not beautiful... also have a big difference in selling price, so the efficiency of 1 hectare of garlic is only relative.

According to Mr. Mai Xuan Binh - Vice Chairman of Ninh Son Commune People's Committee, currently, the commune has about 90 hectares of garlic. This year's garlic crop, the weather conditions are quite favorable, so the garlic yield is quite good, with an average harvest of 10 tons per hectare. Most garlic farmers in the commune are still selling to traders, no other businesses or cooperatives have placed orders under economic contracts. Therefore, the purchase price is agreed upon by both parties at different times.

Ninh Son garlic growers want more stable output.

Ninh Hoa is the locality with the largest garlic area in the province with more than 200 hectares, annual output of nearly 2,000 tons of garlic; garlic is a crop with high economic value, but up to now, Ninh Hoa garlic has not yet built a brand, the output is unstable and most of the output is still sold through distribution channels. Over the past years, building a brand for Ninh Hoa garlic in particular and Khanh Hoa in general has been raised and mentioned quite a lot but has not been implemented yet. Ninh Son garlic growers hope that local authorities and specialized sectors will continue to support and guide people in expanding the area of VietGAP garlic, granting growing area codes, building brands and connecting, opening more sustainable and modern distribution channels, such as linking with garlic processing enterprises, supermarkets, e-commerce platforms... to gradually stabilize the output for garlic here.

HONG DANG

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