Proactively working to meet standards

This is the third year Bac Giang province has organized a conference to promote the lychee consumption in Pingxiang county. At the request of the neighboring country, from May 2019, some fruits, including Bac Giang lychee, when imported into this market, must be labelled with origin-tracing stamps.

Duong Van Thai, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee introduces Bac Giang lychees to Chinese delegates and traders.

Cao Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of the Luc Ngan district People's Committee, said that at present, in addition to the 18 planting area codes issued by the US Department of Agriculture in 7 communes, the Chinese side has granted 36 codes in 30 communes and townships, with a total output of over 80,000 tonnes that meet standards to be exported to the Chinese market.

In order to continue improving the prestige of the lychee brand, Luc Ngan district has focused on directing and guiding local people to strictly follow safe lychee production according to VietGAP and GlobalGap processes as well as increasing requirements and standards of export markets, including China.

However, Hoan suggested that the Chinese authorities soon recognise and grant packaging establishment codes to 79 more enterprises, cooperatives and traders of Luc Ngan district who are eligible for packaging fresh lychees for export to the Chinese market.

Representatives of some Chinese enterprises and traders also said that the quality of Bac Giang lychees in recent years has increased markedly. They proposed the competent agencies of Pingxiang county establish a facility of the Center for Border Trade Monitoring and Management specialising in fresh lychee transactions in the peak season in order to facilitate Chinese and foreign traders’ transactions.

At the border gates, the daily clearance time of the two countries needs to be extended to 21 hours, ensuring that the fresh lychees arriving in the border gates are cleared in the day.

According to Tang Cheng Wei, head of the Pingxiang International Fruit Trading Association, this year’s lychee season, the Chinese customs office will temporarily allow the Vietnamese side to export lychees when they can be packed into foam boxes printed or glued with traceability stamps. Printing origin-tracing stamps will be compulsory from next year.

Collaborating to remove difficulties

Summarising the situation of lychee production and consumption in Bac Giang this year, Tran Quang Tan, Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, said thanks to favorable weather, the quality of lychees is the best in recent years, with brighter and more beautiful appearance and no pests.

Delegates visit the booth displaying the province’s typical products.

The lychee area of the province is nearly 28,500ha, including more than 14,000ha meeting VietGAP and GlobalGap standards. Production is estimated at 150,000 tonnes. The time to harvest early-ripen lychees is expected from May 25 and the main crop will last from June 5 to July 5.

Tan further said that Bac Giang always attaches great importance to all domestic and foreign markets, but the Chinese market is defined as a traditional and important one. Therefore, he expressed his wish that the competent agencies of China, especially Pingxiang county, will continue to support Bac Giang in promoting lychee consumption, helping many Chinese consumers know Bac Giang lychees.

Vice Mayor of Pingxiang county Hao Yun said that Pingxiang is assessed as the largest importer of fruits from Southeast Asian countries. Therefore, the Chinese Ministry of Finance asked the county not to import fruits from a third country.

Sharing the same view, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Duong Van Thai said that ensuring food safety for agricultural products in general and lychee in particular is an indispensable requirement of the development trend.

Bac Giang is committed to creating favorable conditions for Chinese traders and businesses to visit, supervise and purchase lychees while directing authorised agencies, enterprises and lychee growers to actively follow the food safety production process and ensure packaging and labelling with origin traceability...

However, due to the newly promulgated policy, enterprises of the two countries will face initial difficulties, so it is hoped that competent agencies of Pingxiang county will create conditions for the two countries' traders to do customs clearance quickly, as well as boost administrative procedure reforms, with separate paths for lychee, helping the fruit keep its freshness and value when reaching the hands of Chinese consumers.

VietGAP lychee in Tan Yen enjoys good price

(BGO) – Recently, farmers in Phuc Hoa commune in Tan Yen district, Bac Giang province has harvested the early ripen lychees. As of May 19, the selling price fluctuated from 23 – 37,000 VND (1-1.58 USD) per kilogram (doubling the last year price), especially VietGAP lychee was sold at 35 – 37,000 VND per kilogram.

 

Early ripen lychees sold at high price

(BGO) – It is harvest time for some orchards of early ripen lychee in the northern province of Bac Giang with small quantity of the fruits that enjoys  high selling price of 25 – 50,000 VND (1.08 – 2.15 USD) per kilogram.  

 

Tradesmen’s suggestion for lychee consumption

(BGO) – Though the lychee productivity is estimated to be lower this year due to unfavourable weather condition, the area of lychee cultivation under safe standard is expanded in the northern province of Bac Giang. To ease the consumption and introduce the lychee to a wider range of customers, especially in the Central and Southern regions, the entrepreneurs have contributed many suggestions to the local authority, sectors and growers.

 

Luc Ngan lychee yields some 80,000 tonnes

(BGO) – This year, Luc Ngan district in the northern province of Bac Giang has totally cultivated 15,290 hectares of lychee with an expected output of about 80,000 tonnes including 1,850 hectares of early ripen lychee (accounting for 12.1 percent) and 13,440 hectares of main season lychee (making up 87.9 percent). The harvest time will be scheduled on May 20.

 

Bac Giang produces 20 hectares of organic lychee

(BGO) – Targetting to enhance the lychee quality and supply quality product to customers, Luc Ngan district (Bac Giang province) has focused on applying high technology in lychee production, in which the district will cultivate 20 hectares of organic lychee in 2019.

 

Do Thanh Nam