Hai Duong: Over half of estimated lychee output sold before main-crop harvest

Hai Duong (VNA) - The northern province of Hai Duong had sold about 28,000-29,000 tonnes of its “thieu” lychees to both domestic and foreign markets as of May 31, accounting for 55 percent of its annual output, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Half of these, or 15,000 tonnes, have been shipped to the neighbouring countries of China, Laos, and Cambodia.

Some 1,500 tonnes of high-priced lychees have been exported to other countries, including 800 tonnes of fresh lychees to Japan, the US, Australia, the EU, Singapore, the Middle East, and Malaysia. The remainder, which are frozen, have been sent to the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the EU.

Notably, Japan has purchased 100 tonnes of lychees from the province so far this year, tripling the total amount it bought from Vietnam in 2020. The lychees have fetched around 350,000-500,000 VND (15.1-21.6 USD) per kilo in the East Asian country.

There has been a surge in exports to Japan and the EU thanks to improved performance by local growers this year, said director of the department’s plant protection division Luong Thi Kiem. All batches sent to Japan and elsewhere have satisfied the necessary standards, she noted, adding that testing found zero pesticide residue.

An additional 5,000 tonnes of lychees are expected to be shipped abroad by the end of this harvest season.

Domestically, some 6,000-7,000 tonnes have been sold at wholesale markets around the country while 2,000 tonnes have hit the shelves of major supermarket chains such as Vinmart, BigC, Metro, Lanchi Mart, and CoopMart. About 100 tonnes have also been purchased by online shoppers via e-commerce platforms.

Hai Duong has for the first time this year hosted a video teleconference to connect growers and local and foreign traders.

The province has more than 9,100 hectares of lychee area, with total production estimated at about 55,000 tonnes this year, with 30,000 tonnes being early-ripening lychees. The main-crop lychees will be ready for harvest from June 5./.