Bac Giang Province in northern Vietnam, known as the country’s lychee growing hub, is set to export some 1,500 tonnes of lychees to the United States given that over 200 hectares of lychee cultivation land in the province meets export standards.

Tran Quang Tan, director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, announced the province’s plan at a teleconference to promote trade activities and ramp up the exportation of lychees and other products to the United States on Wednesday.

Lychee is growing in popularity, while many consumers value the fruit for its quality, safety, and origin traceability, said Tan.

This year, Bac Giang is growing lychees on 29,700 hectares of land with an estimated output of over 180,000 metric tons. The province will harvest this fruit from May 20 to July 30.

Of the total lychee cultivation, 205 hectares which will yield 1,500 tonnes meets all requirements for export to the United States.

The United States is a potential market thanks to its huge consumption of the product, but it is highly selective about quarantine, food safety, and quality, according to the representative of the department.

Therefore, transport and irradiation costs, transport time, and storage technology have become hindrances to the export of lychees and other farm products to the American market.

Bac Giang proposed that the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and the European – American Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade continue supporting the province with information about the European and American markets, food safety, and technical barriers.

Speaking at the teleconference, vice-chairman of the Bac Giang People’s Committee Phan The Tuan underlined that farm produce that meets requirements for export to the United States can be shipped to other potential markets.

The province is also committed to creating favorable conditions for enterprises which produce and export lychees, as well as removing all obstacles facing local exporters.

Tuan also asked provincial departments and agencies to collaborate with enterprises to ensure that lychee exports to the United States meet all requirements and standards.

At the event, the leader of the European – American Market Department said that the agency would accompany Bac Giang to popularize lychees and beef up consumption of the fruit.

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