Lý Sơn to develop organic garlic farm

A garlic farm in Lý Sơn Island district in Quảng Ngãi Province. The island plans to build the first organic garlic farm. —VNS Photo Chu Mạnh Trinh

QUẢNG NGÃI — The Island district of Lý Sơn in the central province will start constructing its first organic garlic farm, with a total investment of VNĐ4 billion (US$177,000).

The director of the Lý Sơn Island Company, Nguyễn Văn Định, told Việt Nam News that the farm will be built on 2,500sq.m with updated high-tech farming equipment.

He said the farm will provide 700kg tall shoots of garlic each day after a two-month growth period. It will also employ 50 local residents with stable income.

Định said the farm will provide technical consultancy for local farmers in the district to develop organic garlic farms with high productivity and price.

He said the farm can increase its garlic area by growing on ready-made soil on high-rise buildings.

It’s also the first investment in high-tech farm project in the island, which is 30km off the coast of the central province.

The farm plans to offer a tour for VNĐ20,000 (nearly $1) per visitor.

Last year, 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, onion, seafood, garlic wine, dried seafood and seaweed.

It’s also the first made-in-Lý Sơn seafood and aquaculture products to have their own brand nationwide.

In 2015, 40 tonnes of Lý Sơn garlic were exported to Thailand.

The company, in co-operation with the island district and the island’s farmers association, plans to produce organic black garlic for export to Japan, the US and Asian countries, and produce garlic oil.

Lý Sơn garlic has a distinctive flavour and is in high demand at home and abroad. However, this year only 250ha of garlic and onion were planted due to serious drought on the island.

The island, known as the Kingdom of Garlic in Việt Nam, has 21,000 inhabitants, of whom 73 per cent makes their living from farming garlic and spring onion or fishing.