Bac Giang hosts online conference on lychee consumption

The Bac Giang provincial People's Committee hosted an online conference on June 8 to connect 30 locations both nationwide and abroad, including those in Japan, Australia, Singapore, and China for lychee consumption.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien addresses the online conference

With an estimated annual output of 180,000 tonnes, lychee consumption in both domestic and export markets has reached more than 53,000 tonnes as of June 7.

During the course of the event, Phan The Tuan, vice chairman of the Bac Giang Provincial People's Committee, emphasised that amid the complicated nature of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Bac Giang has moved to strictly tighten control over F0 cases as part of prevention efforts. This is also being done with the view of protecting Luc Ngan which makes up the province's largest lychee growing area.

Bac Giang province has therefore requested that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development provide guidance on strengthening management over quality, growing area codes and origin traceability for lychee products in a bid to ensure stringent requirements set by Chinese and Japanese importers and other potential markets are met.

A truck convoy carry Bac Giang lychees for consumption in local and international markets

The Ministry of Industry and Trade will therefore continue to support the locality in connecting with local export firms as they strive to boost lychee consumption on e-commerce platforms.

Furthermore, they will also co-ordinate with the departments of Industry and Trade in numerous localities, Vietnamese trade offices based in the Chinese cities of Guangxi and Yunnan, along with Japan, Australia, Singapore, and other countries globally to assist the locality in lychee consumption.

The discussion focused on facilitating the customs clearance for lychees, introducing lychees on e-commerce sites and large supermarkets, as well as wholesale markets nationwide.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien underscored the importance of trade promotion activities in order to improve the value of lychees and other agricultural products of the locality.