Poverty escape for ethnic minorities from Japanese garlic

TPO - After a period of trial planting with good results, Sanuki garlic plants will be planted on a large scale with the hope of helping ethnic minorities in the mountainous district of Nghe An escape poverty and develop the economy.

In 2023, Sanuki garlic (Japan) was tested in the border commune of Na Ngoi (Ky Son district, Nghe An ) with the participation of cadres and members of the 10th Youth Volunteer Corps and a number of local ethnic minority households.

Project staff and people planting Sanuki garlic in Na Ngoi border commune (Ky Son, Nghe An).

The Sanuki garlic growing model is part of the project "SDGs Business Verification Survey with the Private Sector to Develop a Value Chain for Sanuki Garlic in Nghe An Province, Vietnam" within the framework of the Small and Medium Enterprise Support Program towards Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aiming to contribute to solving socio -economic issues in developing countries.

At first, the project staff guided the people on the techniques of planting and caring for garlic. Thanks to their diligence, combined with the cool soil and climate conditions in Na Ngoi commune, the Sanuki garlic quickly grew well. In just a short time, the garlic fields were harvested and brought high yields.

“In the beginning, we were not familiar with the experimental planting so we encountered many difficulties, the planting area was small, and the plants grew slowly. However, thanks to the companionship and support of project staff and local authorities, we quickly got used to it, overcame the difficulties to successfully plant garlic fields,” shared Mr. Xong Ba Rua - project manager of Sanuki garlic planting in Na Ngoi commune.

After a trial planting period in Na Ngoi commune, Sanuki garlic grew well and yielded high yields.

Mr. Xong Ba Rua added that after 2 years of trial planting and achieving good results, many people have registered to participate in the large-scale planting of Sanuki garlic. In 2025, more than 30 households registered to plant Sanuki garlic. It is expected that in September 2025, the Sanuki garlic variety will be imported by the locality for people to plant on an area of ​​about 1 hectare.

“After a period of planting and monitoring, it is found that Sanuki garlic is suitable for the typical soil and climate conditions of Na Ngoi commune. Sanuki garlic possesses all the necessary factors to become a high-value crop in the near future,” said Ms. Vo Thi Nhung, Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Environment.

In 2025, more than 30 ethnic minority households in Na Ngoi commune registered to grow Sanuki garlic for economic development.

In order for people to understand garlic growing techniques as well as expand the area, recently the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Nghe An to organize a workshop on "Disseminating techniques and promoting the expansion of Sanuki garlic growing areas" for ethnic minorities in Na Ngoi commune.

At the workshop, JICA technical experts disseminated the process and techniques of garlic cultivation to participating households and assessed that Sanuki garlic could become a high-value crop locally.

The project is also expected to promote agriculture, contributing to hunger eradication and poverty reduction for local people. In addition, the project is expected to be able to expand to other vegetable and fruit growing industries, contributing to expanding the ability to diversify and add value to the agricultural sector in the region.

The garlic growing model is expected to help ethnic minorities escape poverty.

In the coming time, JICA will continue to support the development of the agricultural sector of Nghe An province, with the expectation of building a trusting relationship with the local community, while creating a sustainable and comprehensive model, contributing to improving the lives of rural areas, especially the ethnic minority mountainous areas of Vietnam.

Mr. Shinoda Takanobu - Deputy Chief Representative of JICA Office in Vietnam shared: Through the actual survey, it was found that the climate and soil of Nghe An province are suitable for growing high-quality garlic, equivalent to the Sanuki garlic variety produced in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. "We hope that through this project, we will establish a value chain from production to safe consumption of high-quality Sanuki garlic from Vietnam. This will not only help increase income but also bring a stable source of income for people in Ky Son District, Nghe An", said Mr. Shinoda Takanobu.

Ngoc Tu

Source: https://tienphong.vn/huong-thoat-ngheo-cho-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-tu-cay-toi-nhat-ban-post1753568.tpo