It is forecasted that the quality of lychee fruit in 2022 is the best ever. Photo: N.Thanh

It is forecast that the quality of lychee fruit in 2022 is the best ever, meeting the requirements of "fastidious" import markets.

Quality assurance, safety

According to Mr. Phan The Tuan, Vice Chairman of Bac Giang Provincial People's Committee, in 2022, the weather is very favorable, suitable for the growth and development of lychee, predicting the best ever quality of lychee fruit .

Bac Giang's lychee area in 2022 will continue to maintain 28,300 hectares with an estimated output of 180,000 tons; the expected harvest time is from May 20 to July 20.

Bac Giang province has been focusing on directing lychee growing areas to ensure the best quality and safety, especially focusing on directing production for 149 planting area codes for export to the Chinese market.

Besides, the province also maintains 300 packing facilities to meet the export demand to the Chinese market; direct provincial authorities to organize propaganda, dissemination, training and guidance for enterprises, cooperatives, gardeners and traders participating in export to comply with and meet requirements on Food Management Measures of import and export products (Order 249) and Management of registration of foreign food production enterprises that import food into China (Order 248) of China Customs; organize guidance on planting area codes, fully implement packing facilities, prepare the best conditions for exporting to the Chinese market in 2022.

Mr. Tran Quang Tan, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Bac Giang province, said that in the 2022 lychee crop for export markets, Bac Giang province will step up support, encourage and promote exports to markets that have cooperated with other countries such as USA, EU, Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, Thailand; continue to search and expand new and potential consumption markets.

Besides, the province encourages businesses to open lychee stalls on domestic and foreign e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Alibaba, Sendo, Postmart, Voso; promoting lychee consumption activities on social networks, Fanpages on Facebook, Zalo.

“In the domestic market, the province also exchanged and connected with distribution groups, wholesale markets, businesses and traders consuming domestic agricultural products; coordinate with large technology enterprises (Viettel, VNPT) to strengthen the organization of lychee trading transactions on digital platforms," Mr. Tan said.

Hai Duong is the second-largest lychee in the country. The province's lychee output this year is estimated at more than 60,000 tons. The entire area is produced according to VietGAP and Global GAP standards. This year, Hai Duong has nearly 5,000 tons of lychee that meet the export standards to markets that require strict control of pesticide residues as well as care, harvesting and preservation processes.

Ms. Trinh Thi Nguyen, Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Thanh Ha district (Hai Duong province) said that the whole district has more than 3,200 hectares of lychee. It is expected that the output of this year's lychee crop is 5-10% higher than that of 2021. Due to this year's weather characteristics, the time for lychee harvest is expected to be 7-10 days.

Proposing export priority channeling

In order to export lychee to the Chinese market, Mr. Phan The Tuan asked the People's Committee of Lang Son province as well as the provincial authorities to help organize a demand point and attend the online conference on consuming lychee in Bac Giang province to be held on May 25; at the same time, creating conditions for arranging and guiding the transshipment area, a separate area for people and means of transporting lychee in Bac Giang province while waiting for customs clearance at the border gate area.

The leader of Bac Giang province also proposed the Lang Son province authorities organize priority channeling for lychee exports at the Huu Nghi and Tan Thanh border gates and consult with the Chinese localities to create favorable conditions for opening the priority green channel, and reopening Coc Nam and Chi Ma border gates.

Up to now, the Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security) has agreed to allow 103 traders (all Chinese nationals) to enter Vietnam to buy lychees in Bac Giang. In addition to the above traders, the locality is proposing 96 more Chinese traders go to Bac Giang to buy lychee (in 2021, there will be 190 Chinese traders).

“I request the Border Guard Command of Lang Son province and border gate management agencies to continue supporting, creating favorable conditions and guiding entry procedures for Chinese traders entering Vietnam to Bac Giang province to survey, negotiate and purchase lychee; coordinate to appoint a focal point to join the Working Group to support Bac Giang lychee exports," said Mr. Phan The Tuan.

At the online working session between the leaders of the People's Committee of Bac Giang province and Mr. Ho Toa Cam, Counselor of the Mission, in charge of Economic - Trade, the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi, Mr. Ho Toa Cam said this year, China continues to tighten the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi is committed to trying to create all the most favorable conditions for Bac Giang province to export lychee to China. In order to facilitate the consumption of lychee, the Chinese side will prepare a sufficient number of trucks to pull goods from Vietnam to China as well as arrange a dedicated parking lot for trucks carrying lychee from Bac Giang.

However, he also stated that Bac Giang province needs to strictly comply with safety assurance conditions in the prevention and control of Covid-19 when exporting lychee. It is recommended that the processes of care, production and consumption of lychee must be safe, lychee picking staff and lychee truck drivers must be strictly managed and have a PCR test to ensure that they do not have Covid-19.