Ginger prices increase, farmers in Western Nghe An actively harvest

In Huoi Co village, Nhon Mai commune (Tuong Duong), these days people are rushing to harvest ginger to sell to traders who buy it on the spot. After harvesting, people pack ginger in the villages of Nhon Mai commune into sacks and bring it to the gathering place at Huoi Tu intersection, where traders' cars buy it for 9,000 - 10,000 VND/kg.

Mr. Va Khua Do - Head of Huoi Co village said that as of May 23, Huoi Co village had harvested and sold more than 3 tons of ginger. The ginger growing area of ​​Huoi Co village is only a few hectares.

People in the West are excited to harvest ginger. In the 2023 crop, the price of ginger in the West of Nghe An reached 9,000 - 12,000 VND/kg. Photo: Van Truong

Explaining further about this, Mr. Khua Do said that since the Covid-19 pandemic, the price of ginger has dropped in recent years, only about 5,000 - 6,000 VND/kg, so people have not harvested it, letting the ginger grow naturally for 2-3 consecutive seasons. In 2023, there will be no new ginger planted, but the ginger left over from previous years. This year, the price of ginger is almost double that of last year, so people are harvesting it.

Mr. Lo Kham Kha - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tuong Duong district said that the ginger area of ​​the district is not large, only about 22 hectares, concentrated in some communes such as Nhon Mai, Tam Hop, Huu Khuong... Currently, only Nhon Mai commune has almost finished harvesting, the remaining communes are starting to enter the season, the selling price is higher than last year and traders come to buy on site, so it is quite convenient for people to consume the products.

People of Huoi Co village harvest ginger in the 2023 crop. Photo: Contributor

For the Western districts, Ky Son can be considered the "capital" of ginger in Nghe An, with a planting area of ​​more than 800 hectares, mainly concentrated in Na Ngoi commune, scattered in some other communes such as Nam Can, Keng Du, Pha Danh, Huoi Tu, Tay Son...

Ginger prices are higher than in the villages in Nhon Mai commune (Tuong Duong). In Huoi Tu commune, in 2023, there were more than 21 hectares of ginger, which people sold locally at 12,000 VND/kg. Most of the villages imported it to traders at Huoi Tu intersection, near the commune center.

In Na Ngoi commune, with nearly 800 hectares of ginger, the leader of the commune People's Committee said that most of the ginger harvested this year was ginger from previous years that people did not harvest due to falling prices. In 2022, ginger was purchased at 5,000 - 6,000 VND/kg, so most people in Na Ngoi commune did not sell, keeping it on the field waiting for the price to increase.

Ginger of Huoi Co villagers was harvested on May 22, 2023. Photo: Contributor

In 2023, the price of ginger sold in Na Ngoi commune increased compared to last year, reaching 12,000 - 13,000 VND/kg, so people in the villages are currently excited to harvest and import it for traders to buy in the commune.

"The traffic in Na Ngoi commune has been improved in recent years, creating favorable conditions for people to harvest and sell agricultural products right in the locality. The farthest village of Na Ngoi commune is about 12 km from the commune center, but basically the roads to the village centers can be traveled by motorbikes and cars, so the transportation of agricultural products is more convenient," said Mr. Vu Ba Ly - Secretary of the Party Committee of Na Ngoi commune.

A trader specializing in purchasing ginger in Ky Son and Tuong Duong districts said that at the beginning of the 2023 ginger season, the demand for ginger consumption in the market tends to increase, and the purchase price has also increased by nearly double that of 2022. However, buyers do not dare to buy a lot of goods because they have to depend on the import and export situation, mainly to China. In addition, Ky Son ginger also has to compete on price with Lao ginger, so traders do not dare to buy large quantities, only buying according to the quantity ordered by factories and processing enterprises, mainly in the northern provinces.

Ky Son ginger has superior quality compared to ginger from other localities, but people are mainly selling raw ginger products. Photo: Contributor

In fact, the price of ginger imported from Laos and China into the Vietnamese market is always cheaper than local ginger. To compete, it is necessary to increase the value of ginger products. In addition to selling raw ginger, people and businesses in the province need to research the direction of deep processing to increase commercial value.