A protected brand of the Ly Son garlic product. The island has asked the provincial public security department to investigate a rumour posted on social media that damaged the brand of the island's farm produce.

The rumour had a negative effect on the Ly Son protected trademark.

Vice chairwoman of the People's Committee, Pham Thi Huong told Việt Nam News the rumour damaged the product and thousands of farmers living on the islands.

Huong said the Facebook account with the name Luong Hoang Anh posted a message on February 5, saying garlic planted on Ly Son Island was heavily contaminated with pesticides. The message also said the wells were contaminated, which supply water for the garlic farms.

She said the user posted that only garlic grown on An Binh Islet (three miles from Ly Son Island) was free from pesticide.

The Facebook account user offered garlic from An Binh Islet for VND2.3 million (US$100) per kilo.

Huong said farmers have completed sowing for the new season, and harvest will be scheduled in the next two months.

Vice director of the Quang Ngai Department of Public Security, Vo Van Phuong, said cybercrime police has been tracking the user after the rumour was posted on Luong Hoang Anh’s Facebook page.

Garlic season in Ly Son

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Ly Son garlic is only grown and produced by farmers living on the island, 30km off the coast of Quang Ngai Province. VNS Photos Nguyen Van Dinh

He said officers would meet the user and ask them to explain the post.

Garlic from Ly Son Islands suffered the worst trade damage in 2018, when fake garlic from Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan provinces were shipped into the island, resulting in lower prices.

According to the island district, farmers produced more than 6,500 tonnes of garlic in crops per year, and garlic is often priced at VND60,000 ($2.6) for a fresh kilo, and VND150,000 ($6.6) for a dried kilo.

The island district People's Committee has been building a Geographical Indication (GI) for better protection of Ly Son garlic.

Also, in 2018, the island district asked the I Am V company from HCM City to take down advertising banners for its ‘Ly Son garlic products’ that were displayed on a TV show.

Ly Son garlic is only grown and produced by farmers living on the island, 30km off the coast of Quang Ngai Province.

In 2009, the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, recognised the brand ownership for the products of Ly Son Island including garlic, onions, seafood, garlic wine, dried seafood and seaweed for 50 households on the island.

The island, known as the Kingdom of Garlic in Vietnam, has 22,000 inhabitants, of whom 73 per cent make their living from farming garlic and spring onions or fishing. — VNS

Specialties of Ly Son Island: Goi toi and oc mat trang

Apart from bòng bong (seaweed) salad, Ly Son Island in Quang Ngai Province is also famous for dishes like gỏi tỏi (fresh garlic salad) and different versions of ốc mặt trăng (moon face snail).