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Garlic growers lose market share
Vietnam
Wednesday 02 September 2009
Vietnam garlic growers lose their share due to increasing chinese garlic import
Garlic farmers on Ly Son island in central Quang Ngai Province are suffering increasingly because of their inability to compete with the massive inflow of cheap Chinese garlic. Garlic is a Ly Son speciality known for long for its quality, moderate pungency, and special flavour.
Last March the Intellectual Property Department even granted a trademark to Ly Son garlic but sales had fallen badly, Truong Nghia, a member of the island-district’s Association of Garlic Processing and Trading said. While the garlic grown on the island rose in the last two weeks to 0,1 EUR a kilogramme, Chinese imports cost as little as half depending on the location.
But even at this price, Ly Son farmers would lose heavily since costs have gone up. They face a water shortage and have to pay steep rates for pumping water.
Vo Xuan Huyen, chairman of the Ly Son District People’s Committee, said while having the trademark was fine, a professional organisation would be needed to advertise the product and widen its market.
