Brian Jeffrey
The renowned lychee harvest from Bac Giang officially begins for the 2025 season, with projections indicating an output of around 165,000 tons for both local and international markets. Officials are committed to maintaining high quality, traceability, and providing comprehensive support for businesses engaged in distribution.
On May 28, a conference was convened by the Bac Giang People’s Committee to boost the marketing of lychees and other significant OCOP (One Commune, One Product) agricultural offerings for the year 2025.
Pham Van Thinh, Vice Chairman of the Bac Giang People’s Committee, emphasized that Bac Giang is still regarded as the lychee capital of Vietnam, cultivating roughly 29,700 hectares this year, representing more than 60% of the province’s overall fruit-growing land. The anticipated lychee yield stands at around 165,000 tons.
The lychees from Bac Giang are grown in alignment with VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic practices, and they hold geographical indications in eight countries. The fruit is sent to over 30 countries, meeting the strict quality standards of markets such as Japan, the U.S., the EU, and China.
The province has assigned nearly 300 growing area codes, encompassing over 21,000 hectares. It has also invested in an integrated system for processing, packaging, and logistics to ensure readiness for both domestic and export needs.
Bac Giang is home to hundreds of OCOP products rated three stars and above, along with 56 notable, unique, and promising agricultural goods. The province is actively executing a detailed strategy that covers production, processing, preservation, and sales to increase the value of its agricultural offerings.
During the conference, Bac Giang reiterated its dedication to supporting businesses, providing assistance for market surveys, contracts, and product sales. The province stressed its commitment to transparency in sourcing, compliance with technical standards, and addressing any challenges throughout the distribution chain.
Many attendees suggested approaches such as utilizing the logistics network to reduce transportation expenses, enhancing product visibility, broadening modern distribution avenues, and employing e-commerce for lychee sales.
Nguyen Duc Hai, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, commended Bac Giang’s ongoing efforts, specifically in effectively planning cultivation areas, integrating advanced agricultural practices, and bolstering production-consumption partnerships.
He pointed out how local farmers are proactively adopting VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic farming techniques, thereby improving quality and protecting the national identity of Bac Giang lychees.
Nguyen Duc Hai also encouraged Bac Giang to focus on upgrading fruit varieties and heavily invest in scientific research along with post-harvest technologies to increase shelf life while catering to the demands of distant, high-standard markets.
Additionally, he recommended expanding export destinations, particularly targeting China, Japan, the EU, the U.S., Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, while establishing an efficient domestic distribution framework to ensure that Bac Giang’s fresh lychees reach consumers promptly and in optimal condition.
Regarding the Chinese market, Nguyen Duc Hai called for collaboration between relevant authorities and Chinese partners to enhance trade relationships, ease the entry process for businesses and traders for direct purchases, and streamline administrative procedures. He advocated for a fast-tracked process for prioritizing lychee imports into China, ensuring expeditiousness and convenience.
Nguyen Viet Oanh, Chairman of the Bac Giang People’s Committee, noted that the province will persist in fostering amicable ties with China while utilizing international trade agreements to explore new opportunities.
