Chinese Garlic Floods Vietnamese Markets and Warnings

LChinese garlic cloves, large, white, and beautifully shaped, are being sold everywhere in large and small markets in Vietnam at a price 1/3 cheaper than the price of the same type of Vietnamese garlic.

Cheap Chinese garlic floods Vietnamese markets

As one of the four Chinese spices commonly used in Vietnam, Chinese garlic has been imported to Vietnam for many years, although Vietnam also has many garlic growing areas such as Hai Duong, Ly Son, Da Lat, etc. However, according to traders, at the market today, Chinese garlic accounts for the majority of the market share.

In fact, in the North alone, there are famous Chinese agricultural trading capitals with hundreds of tons of goods transported every night, such as Tho Tang market (Vinh Tuong, Vinh Phuc), Hoa Dinh market (Bac Ninh city), Long Bien market (Hanoi),... in which garlic is a major commodity imported in relatively large quantities.

Chinese garlic is piled up and sold everywhere in markets in Vietnam.

In the area around Hoa Dinh market, Chinese garlic is one of the agricultural products that is traded widely and openly with huge warehouses. In the late afternoon until early morning of the next day, at this market, large trucks carrying Chinese garlic from the border gate will appear to unload goods for wholesalers to distribute to large and small markets throughout the country. During the day, the areas around Hoa Dinh market turn into "factories" to classify garlic and onions into different types.

Customers who come here to "eat" only ask for the price, no one asks about the origin of the goods like in retail markets, because the garlic bags are contained in mesh bags with labels full of Chinese characters so everyone knows.

Similarly, at Tho Tang market, the trading scene of Chinese garlic is also bustling, taking place day and night with extremely large quantities. Notably, Chinese garlic is sold at super cheap prices, only from 6,000-8,000 VND/kg depending on the type.

Accordingly, from the wholesale market, white garlic bulbs with large, round, extremely eye-catching cloves are distributed throughout traditional markets under the label of "Vietnamese garlic" with prices ranging from 30,000-40,000 VND/kg, tricking Vietnamese consumers into buying them as spices to cook various daily dishes.

Meanwhile, restaurants, eateries, collective kitchens, and even hotels are extremely fond of Chinese garlic. Because, for them, Chinese garlic has many advantages such as large bulbs that are easy to peel, easy to preserve, do not sprout, do not dry out, etc.

Warnings

Although imported massively into Vietnam and sold widely in Vietnamese markets, according to the authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in 2015, when taking samples for testing, two samples of Chinese garlic bulbs were found to exceed the threshold for active pesticide ingredients (active ingredient Dithiocarbamate).

However, in 2016, specifically in November 2016, samples were taken for testing of all agricultural products, including garlic, but no violations were found.

Chinese garlic is a popular model in restaurants, eateries, and collective kitchens.

Not only in Vietnam, but according to US import and export statistics, a large amount of garlic sold globally is currently originating from China. Therefore, this product has been examined by many health and food research organizations. In fact, not only now but for a long time, there have been alarming warnings about garlic grown in China when investigators discovered that garlic originating from China may contain toxic chemicals that are dangerous to health.

An Epoch Times reporter undercover investigated and discovered that many vegetable farmers in China use phorate and parathion (two pesticides banned by the government) to water their crops to save time and effort.

Previously, The Age cited a survey by the Australian Garlic Industry Association warning that most Chinese garlic is sprayed with chemicals to stop it from sprouting. Not only that, the garlic has been bleached and prevented from insects...

According to Vietnamnet