The country accounted for 8% of Vietnam’s total lychee exports, which rose 43% to $16.03 million during the period, according to customs data.
It was the second-largest market for Vietnamese lychees behind China, whose purchases climbed 29.5% to $8.07 million. China’s share of the total exports, however, fell from 55.57% to 50.35%.
Exports to the Netherlands jumped 290% to $725,000 while shipments to the UK and France rose 176% and 81.8% to $717,000 and $845,000, respectively.
Lychees harvested in the former northern province of Bac Giang (now part of Bac Ninh Province). Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy |
Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said many growing areas in Vietnam have met GlobalGAP standards, as well as the quality and traceability requirements imposed by several strict markets.
All lychee shipments now bear growing-area and packing-facility codes, and businesses have also invested in processing technology, cold storage systems and logistics chains to maintain quality during transportation, he noted.
“Vietnamese lychees are now not only consumed by locals and Asian communities but also entering retail chains in the U.S.,” he added.
Government agencies in Bac Ninh, a major producer, said the northern province has 29,800 hectares under the fruit, with 243 growing areas and 42 packing facilities certified for exports.
The province’s output is estimated at 125,000 tonnes this year, of which 107,000 tonnes have been harvested. About 77,000 tonnes were consumed domestically and 30,000 tonnes were exported.
Farmers there have been selling the fruit at VND60,000-90,000 (US$2.28-3.42) per kilogram, the highest level in years, partly thanks to the growth in exports.
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