HÀ NÔI – Hundreds of tonnes of garlic in Khánh Hòa Province is in danger of rotting, as a lack of demand has forced farmers to put their crops in storage.

Garlic farmers in the central coastal province have warned they may have to throw large portions of their crops, vietnamplus.vn online newspaper reported. 

Khánh Hòa Province has about 600ha of garlic farms, which much of the crop garlic from Quảng Ngãi Province’s Lý Sơn Island, which is famous for its garlic nationwide.

This year, garlic farmers in Vạn Hưng Commune, Vạn Ninh District were excited for their bumper crop, with an average yield of 10 tonnes per hectare, an increase of 4-5 tonnes from last year.

Farmer Trương Minh Hoàng said at the beginning of harvest season two months ago, a kilo of fresh garlic went for VNĐ25,000/kg, but many farmers decided not to sell because they thought the price would be higher at the end of the harvest season.

Hoàng, with 10 years of experience in garlic growing, said this year’s garlic price was unstable, adding the harvest season is coming to an end but there was a large amount of garlic still in storage.

“This is the lowest garlic price season. In previous years, my family earned about VNĐ200 million per ha,” he said. “This year’s profit is zero”.

This year’s garlic crop has mainly been consumed domestically. Additionally, the price of Chinese and Thailand garlic was sold in Việt Nam at a cheaper price, about VNĐ15,000/kg, according to Hoàng.

Ninh Vân Commune in Ninh Hòa Town has 54ha of garlic with a total productivity of 450 tonnes. Now, 80 tonnes of dried garlic are still in storage. 

Đỗ Hữu Minh, vice chairman of Farmers’ Association of Ninh Phước Commune said 30 tonnes of dried garlic are in storage. He said farmers don’t sell fresh garlic early because they believed the price would be higher at the end of the harvest or after harvest.

Ahead method

Trần Thanh Tòng, vice chairman of the Vạn Hưng Commune People’s Committee said local authorities are seeking purchasing partners and markets to deal with the garlic in stock.

A volunteer group is working with Khánh Hòa Province’s Agricultural Company and Vạn Hưng Garlic Production Cooperative to organise garlic-sale mobile points province-wide and then nationwide. 

Nha Trang Coopmart supermarket has also agreed to purchase Khánh Hòa garlic. — VNS