A protected brand of the Lý Sơn garlic product. The island has asked the provincial public security department to investigate a rumour posted on social media that damaged the brand of the island's farm produce. VNS Photos Nguyễn Văn Định

LÝ SƠN ISLAND — The People’s Committee of Lý Sơn Island District in Quảng Ngãi Province has asked the provincial Department of Public Security to identify a Facebook user who poster rumours of the locally-grown garlic that had been contaminated with pesticide.

The rumour had a negative effect on the Lý Sơn protected trademark.

Vice chairwoman of the People's Committee, Phạm Thị Hương told Việt Nam News the rumour damaged the product and thousands of farmers living on the islands.

Hương said the Facebook account with the name Lương Hoàng Anh posted a message on February 5, saying garlic planted on Lý Sơn Island was heavily contaminated with pesticides. The message also said the wells were contaminated, which supply water for the garlic farms.

She said the user posted that only garlic grown on An Bình Islet (three miles from Lý Sơn Island) was free from pesticide.

The Facebook account user offered garlic from An Bình Islet for VNĐ2.3 million (US$100) per kilo.

Hương said farmers have completed sowing for the new season, and harvest will be scheduled in the next two months.

Vice director of the Quảng Ngãi Department of Public Security, Võ Văn Phương, said cybercrime police has been tracking the user after the rumour was posted on Lương Hoàng Anh’s Facebook page.

Lý Sơn garlic is only grown and produced by farmers living on the island, 30km off the coast of Quảng Ngãi Province.

He said officers would meet the user and ask them to explain the post.

Garlic from Lý Sơn Islands suffered the worst trade damage in 2018, when fake garlic from Khánh Hòa and Ninh Thuận provinces were shipped into the island, resulting in lower prices.

According to the island district, farmers produced more than 6,500 tonnes of garlic in crops per year, and garlic is often priced at VNĐ60,000 ($2.6) for a fresh kilo, and VNĐ150,000 ($6.6) for a dried kilo.

The island district People's Committee has been building a Geographical Indication (GI) for better protection of Lý Sơn garlic.

Also, in 2018, the island district asked the I Am V company from HCM City to take down advertising banners for its ‘Lý Sơn garlic products’ that were displayed on a TV show.

Lý Sơn garlic is only grown and produced by farmers living on the island, 30km off the coast of Quảng Ngãi Province.

In 2009, the National Office of Intellectual Property of Việt Nam, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, recognised the brand ownership for the products of Lý Sơn Island including garlic, onions, seafood, garlic wine, dried seafood and seaweed for 50 households on the island.

The island, known as the Kingdom of Garlic in Việt Nam, has 22,000 inhabitants, of whom 73 per cent make their living from farming garlic and spring onions or fishing. — VNS