In recent years, garlic growers in Ninh Hoa town in particular and the entire province in general have faced uncertainty and instability in terms of market access. The successful establishment of the VietGAP garlic model in Ninh Son commune is expected to improve the situation. However, for the time being, finding a market for garlic remains challenging.
Over 5 hectares of VietGAP-certified garlic
After a long period of adhering to the national standards for garlic production, in early March, over 5 hectares of garlic, yielding more than 50 tons per crop per year, belonging to 9 member households of the Ninh Son Commune Garlic Growing Cooperative, received certification from the authorities as conforming to the National Standard for Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP). Mr. Dao Quang Hoc, head of the Ninh Son Commune Garlic Growing Cooperative, said that he and the members have been involved in garlic cultivation for many years. At its peak, his family cultivated up to 5 hectares of garlic. Previously, garlic sold relatively well, with everything produced being sold immediately. However, over the past 5 years, garlic sales have become difficult and increasingly unstable. Currently, his family only maintains 1 hectare of garlic. With the desire to improve product quality and ensure a more stable market, the cooperative members decided to produce VietGAP-certified garlic.
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| Mr. Dao Quang Hoc is drying garlic. |
Mr. Vu Van Tam, Chairman of the Ninh Son Commune Farmers' Association, said that in addition to the 9 households growing garlic on 5 hectares that have received VietGAP certification, the association recently collaborated with the town's Plant Protection Station to organize a 3-month training course on garlic cultivation techniques for farmers. At the same time, they supported the Ninh Son Commune Garlic Growing Cooperative with a loan of 350 million VND to help households improve their garlic cultivation process to meet safety criteria.
However, during the recent garlic harvest season, the purchase price of garlic in Ninh Son in particular and the province in general was unstable and fluctuated greatly. “At the beginning of the season, traders bought fresh garlic at 40-50 thousand dong/kg. But during the peak season, the price not only dropped sharply but sales also slowed down. Some households dried and stored their garlic, waiting for prices to rise before selling. Most other households had to sell even at low prices because they had to pay their fertilizer debts,” Mr. Dao Quang Hoc shared.
Farmers hope for support in marketing their produce.
The reality is that garlic prices fluctuate considerably. Even now, good-looking, uniformly sized, and sufficiently dry garlic can sell for 70,000 VND/kg. However, what constitutes "good" garlic, and what grades (1, 2, 3) are, largely depends on the buyer's perception and experience. Furthermore, while grade 1 garlic sells for 60,000-70,000 VND/kg, grade 2 garlic only fetches 20,000-25,000 VND/kg. The ratio of good to bad garlic varies among farmers; therefore, even with a yield of 10 tons/ha, some farmers may earn over 500 million VND, while others only earn around 300 million VND. When asked, a farmer sorting garlic in Hamlet 1, Ninh Son Commune, explained that garlic is mainly divided into two grades: grade 1 (beautiful garlic) accounts for about 65% of the yield, while the rest is grade 2. Regarding dryness, whether the garlic has been sun-dried for 20 or 25 days is mostly based on experience and visual assessment. The price difference between grade 1 (beautiful) and grade 1 (not so beautiful) is significant, making the profitability of one hectare of garlic only relative.
According to Mr. Mai Xuan Binh, Vice Chairman of the Ninh Son Commune People's Committee, there are currently about 90 hectares of garlic in the commune. This year's garlic crop benefited from favorable weather conditions, resulting in a good yield, averaging 10 tons per hectare. Most garlic farmers in the commune are still selling to traders; no businesses or cooperatives have placed orders under economic contracts. Therefore, the purchase price is determined by mutual agreement between the two parties at different times.
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| Garlic growers in Ninh Son hope for a more stable market for their produce. |
Ninh Hoa is the province with the largest garlic growing area, exceeding 200 hectares and producing nearly 2,000 tons of garlic annually. Garlic is a high-value crop, yet to date, Ninh Hoa garlic has not established a brand, its market is unstable, and most of the production is still sold through traditional distribution channels. For many years, the development of a brand for Ninh Hoa garlic in particular, and Khanh Hoa in general, has been discussed extensively, but it has yet to be implemented. Garlic growers in Ninh Son hope that the local government and relevant departments will continue to support and guide them in expanding the area of VietGAP-certified garlic cultivation, granting planting area codes, building a brand, and connecting with more sustainable and modern distribution channels, such as linking with garlic processing businesses, supermarkets, and e-commerce platforms, in order to gradually stabilize the market for their garlic.
HONG DANG
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