Vietnam:
Japanese garlic may overtake garlic fields on Ly Son island
The variety, which is very valuable, is commonly priced at VND 2 to 3 million per kilogram (74 to 111 euros), and many people think it needs to be protected.
Recently, the Quang Ngai People’s Committee has approved research to prepare for the cultivation of Japanese garlic on Ly Son Island. Tadashi Yoshii, CEO of CAN Holdings from Japan, said the elephant garlic variety brings high yields of 4 to 5 tons per hectare. Each kilogram of the garlic is sold at VND 180,000 (6.69 euros) in Japan.
Le Tien Dung, a renowned agronomist, told vietnamnet he was surprised that the local authorities allowed an exotic garlic species which could be a rival to native garlic. “Ly Son garlic will lose its position because it cannot compete with the Japanese garlic, which has higher yield,” Dung warned.
