Lychee-growing localities receive preorders from foreign traders

Two months prior to the lychee season, the northern provinces of Hai Duong and Bac Giang, the two biggest growers of the fruit, have received many preorders from foreign traders.

Hai Duong’s lychee output is expected to reach 45,000-52,000 tonnes this year, Vu Viet Anh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said on April 9.

Many foreign firms have booked orders to serve exports to such markets as China, Japan, Australia, the US and Singapore, according to the official.

In the previous year, foreign enterprises, like those in Japan, often sent representatives to Vietnam to supervise lychee purchase, processing and packaging.

However, due to the COVID-19 spread, the Japanese side has carried out the supervision online.

Meanwhile, a number of Chinese enterprises has, for many years, set up lychee purchasing and packaging facilities in Thanh Ha district and Chi Linh city, Viet Anh said.

Hai Duong opens its door to foreign traders and businesses, but they must observe regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control, he stressed.

The province, about 50 km from Hanoi, is now home to nearly 10,000 ha of “thieu” lychee, a special type of the fruit, with 3,300 ha in Thanh Ha, and 3,600 ha in Chi Linh.

Meanwhile, Luc Ngan district in Hai Duong’s neighbouring province of Bac Giang province has got 167 preorders from China. The local People’s Committee said it has submitted the list to competent agencies for approval.

With its lychee output estimated at 120,000 tonnes this year, Luc Ngan expects to receive about 500 Chinese traders who are traditional partners of local growers.

Foreign lychee buyers will have to spend 14 days at concentration quarantine establishments, and take COVID-19 testing.

Last year, Vietnam exported fresh lychees to Japan for the first time after five years of negotiations and preparations to meet quality standards.

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has recently granted geographical indication (GI) certification to Luc Ngan lychee.

Luc Ngan lychee represents the first Vietnamese product to be granted geographical indication certification in Japan.

The product had previously successfully protected its trademark in China, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Australia, Laos, and Cambodia. It is currently consumed in several countries globally.

The issuance of geographical indication certification looks set to create favourable conditions in which Luc Ngan lychee can start to make inroads into the Japanese market, along with others worldwide.