Bắc Ninh harvested about 130,000 tonnes of lychees this season, or 101 per cent of its initial target. Harvesting has largely been completed, with only a few remaining areas still picking fruit.
The province is home to more than 29,800ha of “thiều” lychee orchards, with total output expected to reach around 125,000 tonnes this year. As the peak harvest season gets underway, growers are rushing to bring in the crop.
Nearly 1,500 trucks carrying the fruit were cleared through the border gate, according to the Lào Cai International Border Gate Customs Team under Regional Customs Sub-Department VII.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thị Thắng highlighted the significance of this year, which marks a decade of cooperation between the ministry and AEON in organising Vietnam Week in Japan.
Departments of Industry and Trade in the northern border region are required to regularly the import and export situation at border gates and coordinate transportation to avoid congestion during peak periods.
Bắc Ninh has sold roughly 4,010 tonnes of early-ripening lychee so far, including more than 2,921 tonnes consumed domestically and nearly 1,089 tonnes exported.
Bắc Ninh currently has 29,800ha under lychee cultivation, with output estimated at more than 95,000 tonnes, or about 59.5 per cent of the annual target.
According to the Bắc Ninh Centre for Culture and Tourism Promotion, the orchards must comply with VietGAP, GlobalGAP or organic production standards while offering suitable conditions for experiential tourism activities.
Vietnamese lychess have for the first time been put on shelves of Costco, the largest retail chain in the US with 635 stores across the US and Canada, according to the Việt Nam Trade Office in San Francisco.
A Vietnamese Lychee Week is taking place in London from June 17 to 24 to promote the tropical fruit to UK consumers, drawing interest from both the Vietnamese community and local residents.