Over the past six years, the Hoa Nhon ‘kieu huong’ pickled scallion heads cooperative in Thach Nham Tay village, Hoa Nhon Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang has helped 54 households develop their family economy and turn ‘kieu huong’ into a typical product of this suburban commune.

Illustrative image. (Photo: DNO)

This species of wild onion is more drought-tolerant and less vulnerable to pestilent insects than other types of plants. According to traditional medicine, the ‘cu kieu’ roots can provide extra body’s warmth, and they are really good for digestion and urination.

But most diners just care about its mouth-watering taste which helps moderate many rich dishes served in parties after parties during the festival. Based on the idea of developing products from ‘kieu huong’ by Ms. Nguyen Thi Bong, 38, Thach Nham Tay village, in 2018, the Hoa Nhon Commune People's Committee studied the needs of households and established the above-mentioned cooperative.

This unit has 54 member households in the form of an independent, autonomous economic group with the purpose of investing, producing, trading in fresh ‘kieu huong’ and creating related products such as ‘kieu huong’ in sweet and sour fish sauce or in vegetarian sauce, dried  ‘kieu huong’. Households participating in the cooperative are responsible for the quality of production and service business.

As the head of the cooperative, Ms. Bong said that when mentioning the land of Thach Nham Tay, everyone knows about ‘kieu huong’. It has become a typical product of the village, and the whole commune in general, because it is grown on steep hills deep in the forest and is nurtured and nourished mainly by underground water sources.

Therefore, the plant has a blooming, narrow trunk, and when eaten, it still retains its original crunchiness with a spicy, strong, and aromatic taste that is very unique as compared to many other types of it kind on the market for sale.

Thanks to this advantage, Ms. Bong came up with the idea of making products from ‘ kieu huong’ to help local farmers increase their income, and at the same time developing products from fresh ‘kieu huong’ to help stabilize prices and increase the value of agricultural products.

“To capture the market’s real need, I initially supplied ‘kieu huong’ fermented pickles and was fortunate to receive great support from consumers. In particular, when presenting the idea, the cooperative received great support from the commune authorities such as organising training, guiding the preliminary processing, processing products from shallots according to the correct procedures and techniques to ensure food hygiene and safety. In addition, the cooperative was invested by the Da Nang Women’s Union in modern equipment such as dryers, blow dryers, shrink curtains, ozone generators, and coolers to increase the quality of preservation and process products quickly and effectively," said Ms. Bong.

As a member of the cooperative, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tru, 70, said that her family has grown ‘kieu huong’ for three generations. Previously, she and many households in the area grew them in the traditional way and sold them at markets, so the output was unstable, sometimes the price was forced down, especially near Tet.

Many households gradually gave up the job because they put in a lot of effort but the profit was not worth it. Since the cooperative was established, it has helped her and other households have a stable output of products, not only during the Tet holiday but all four seasons of the year.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, Chairwoman of the Commune Farmers’ Association, up to now, the cooperative's ‘kieu huong’ products have completed the registration of QR Code to trace the origin of the products, achieved VietGAP certification and HACCP standards. In 2021, Hoa Nhon ‘kieu huong’ products achieved 4-star OCOP.

Linking the consumption of ‘kieu huong’ is not only at markets but also at some stores and supermarkets. It is estimated that the cooperative provides an income of VND15-20 million /rod/crop/year for each household and creates jobs for 3 main workers and 5 seasonal workers at Ms. Bong's ‘kieu huong’ processing facility with an income of VND3 million-5 million /person/month.

The cooperative received a certificate of merit from the Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee for its outstanding achievements in the emulation movement ‘The city joins hands to build new rural areas in the 2021-2023 period’.

“Although the cooperative’s profits are not high, it helps create more jobs and income for households, especially women aged 40 and over and those who are not qualified to work in industrial zones, thereby contributing to poverty reduction in the locality. More importantly, ‘kieu huong’ creates a source of quality products, helping farmers access and apply advanced technology to develop agriculture in a sustainable direction,” said Ms. Binh.

Reporting by HUYNH VU – Translating by A.THU, TIẾN DŨNG