Ginger from Ky Son drops in price, difficult to sell.

The ginger crop in Tay Son commune, Ky Son district, is bountiful but difficult to sell. Photo: Van Truong

Ms. Mua Chong Ho from Lu Thanh village, Tay Son commune, Ky Son district shared: "Ginger prices have dropped twice recently, from a peak of 25,000 VND/kg to only 7,000 VND/kg at the beginning of March 2022, and now they've continued to fall to 5,000 VND/kg. Currently, my family still has about 4.5 tons of unharvested ginger due to difficulties in selling it."

Mr. Vu No Denh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tay Son commune (Ky Son district), said: The entire commune has over 30 hectares of ginger, mainly concentrated in Lu Thanh, Dong Tren, and Huoi Giang 1 villages. Currently, only about 30% of the area has been harvested, leaving over 100 tons of ginger unsold. The slow ginger consumption is affecting the livelihoods of the local people.

Ginger is being gathered at a purchasing unit in Muong Xen town, Ky Son district. Photo: Van Truong

Mr. Nguyen Van Luan, Chairman of the Huong Son Agricultural and Handicraft Service Cooperative in Muong Xen town (a unit specializing in purchasing ginger in Ky Son district), added: The reason why ginger prices have been low and sales difficult in recent years is because Ky Son ginger does not have an attractive appearance, making it difficult to compete with other localities.

Not to mention the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in recent years, fewer traders have come, and exporting to other countries has been difficult. Currently, the unit has only purchased about 150 tons of ginger from local farmers.

Ginger is being gathered in Ta Ca commune, Ky Son district. Photo: Van Truong.

According to a report from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ky Son district, since 2021, over 800 hectares of ginger have been planted in the district, mainly in the communes of Na Ngoi, Dooc May, Tay Son, Nam Can, Huoi Tu, Keng Du, and Muong Long. These areas have cool weather, and the ginger is grown on the slopes of the mountains, making it suitable for growth and development, resulting in relatively high yields of 5-6 tons of ginger per hectare.

Ginger processing at a specialized purchasing unit in Muong Xen town. Photo: Van Truong.

Currently, only about 300 hectares of ginger have been harvested in the entire district, while over 500 hectares remain unharvested, resulting in an estimated 5,000 tons of ginger remaining unsold. If this harvest is not completed by the end of April 2023, it will negatively impact the quality of the ginger.

Ginger is packed in bags, awaiting traders to come and buy it in Ky Son district. Photo: Van Truong

The specialty product of Ky Son ginger has been granted a geographical indication registration certificate by the Intellectual Property Office since 2019. Ky Son ginger has two varieties: small ginger and buffalo horn ginger, and farmers usually finish harvesting at the end of April.