Vietnamese lychees were already present in Thailand a few years ago, but this is the first time that the fruits are on sale at a major supermarket chain in the country.
"I am very happy to be one of the pioneering firms to bring fresh lychees to Thai consumers," said Nguyen Xuan Viet, Chairman of Vifoco, exporter of lychees to Thailand. "My company hopes to export from 1,000 – 2,000 tonnes of fresh lychee to Thailand next year."
At the Siam Paragon shopping mall, the lychees from Vietnam have attracted attention from shoppers.
Somkiat Wongsakulchai, chief executive of Ekthai, distributor of Vietnamese lychees in Thailand, said that his company will expand the distribution of Vietnamese lychees to more branches next year.
Lychee is grown in many localities in Vietnam, mostly in the north, with Bac Giang province known as the country's lychee growing hub.
The province harvested 199,500 tonnes of lychee in 2022 and earned over 290 million USD from lychee sales and support services.
Bac Giang lychee has affirmed its brand and value in many countries and territories around the world with 75,900 tonnes shipped abroad, making up 38% of the accumulative sales./.
