(VAN) In the first half of the year, lychee exports to China reached USD 14.5 million, down nearly 62% compared to the same period in 2023 – the sharpest decline ever.
Lychees at a fruit shop on Le Duc Tho Street (Go Vap District) in May 2024. Photo: Thi Ha.
The General Department of Viet Nam Customs has just announced data on lychee export in the first half of this year, showing that the export turnover reached USD 23.6 million, down 46% compared to the same period last year. Of which, China – the largest market for Vietnamese lychees – recorded the sharpest decrease (62%) in the top 10 import markets, followed by Japan and the UK with decreases of nearly 4% and 16%, respectively.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, the main reason for this decline is that the supply of lychees this year has decreased sharply due to crop failures in gardens.
Data from localities shows that lychee output in 2024 will only reach about 200,000 tons, down 50% compared to the previous year. Specifically, Bac Giang harvested about 100,000 tons (down 50% compared to 2023), and Hai Duong reached about 45,000 tons (down 23%)…
Mr. Le Ba Thanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Giang, said that there has never been a year with such a severe lychee crop failure as this year. By the end of June, Bac Giang had consumed more than 85,700 tons of lychees, of which early-ripening varieties accounted for more than 47,600 tons.
Due to the crop failure, the price of lychees this season has increased to a record high. In the domestic market, each kilogram of traditional lychees at the end of the season is up to VND 180,000, while in the same period last year, it was only VND 40,000- VND 60,000. Hybrid lychees such as white and pink eggplant have retail prices of up to VND 360,000 per kilogram. Unlike previous years, this year, the main crop, lychees, only appeared sporadically in the South, with some supermarket chains selling them for less than a month.
Lychee is one of the famous fruits of Vietnam, harvested from April to June. Major growing areas are Thanh Ha (Hai Duong province) and Luc Ngan (Bac Giang province). In addition, the Central Highlands and Hung Yen have also been developing this tree.
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