Bac Giang lychee costs 780,000 VND per kg in the US

Fresh lychees from Bac Giang have just hit the shelves of some supermarkets in the US at a price of 14-15 USD per pound, equivalent to about 780,000 VND per kilogram.

At noon on June 21, US time, the first fresh lychees from Bac Giang were sold at supermarkets such as Hong Kong, Tan Binh, Viet Hoa, Linda's Tropical Fruits, Ca Mau in Houston, Texas. The retail price for customers is 14-15 USD per pound, or 140 USD for an 11-pound (5 kg) package, equivalent to 3.2 million VND.

This is the first batch of 1.08 tons of fresh Vietnamese lychees of this year's crop sold in this market, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in the US. The product is supplied by Global Food Import-Export Company in Luc Ngan and imported by LNS International Corporation.

Lychees are sold at a supermarket in Houston, Texas on June 21. Photo: LNS

Previously, Vietnamese lychees were exported to the US as frozen goods. Since 2020, the Vietnam Trade Office in the US has recognized the demand for fresh lychees and connected importers and exporters of the two countries to work with the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to learn about the process of exporting fresh lychees.

However, in recent years, fresh lychees have been tested for export to the US but have not been cleared and sold on the market due to some quarantine regulations. Last year, LNS also planned to export lychees but Vietnam and the US could not agree on packaging standards.

The process of bringing fresh lychees to the US is not simple. Luc Ngan lychees that meet standards will be purchased, selected and cut individually by Toan Cau to be processed using Israeli technology to ensure the product remains fresh during transportation.

The fabric is packed in 11-pound (5-kg) baskets and transported from Bac Giang to Noi Bai airport for the first flight to Tan Son Nhat. From there, the fabric is taken to the Son Son irradiation center to eliminate microorganisms and insects. Once completed, the fabric is transported back to Tan Son Nhat airport for air travel to the United States.

The lychee batch is packaged in 11-pound (5kg) baskets for import into the US. Photo: LNS

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Huyen (Jolie Nguyen), Founder and President of LNS, said that the entire time from when the lychee is packaged in Bac Giang until it hits the shelves in the US takes about 5 days. "The lychee arriving in the US still retains good quality and can stay on supermarket shelves for at least 7 days to be sold fresh," Ms. Huyen said.

After the first batch went well, the company ordered the next batch - 8 tons of lychees - to supply to supermarkets in Houston (Texas), California, Seattle (Washington) and Portland (Oregon) and elsewhere. "After the first successful trial batch, we plan to import 3-4 more batches of fresh lychees for this year's season, with a yield of 8-10 tons per batch," Huyen said.

Lychees are not lacking in the US, imported from Mexico, Australia and two inland growing states, Hawaii and Florida. However, Vietnamese lychees are considered "different". "Vietnamese lychees are very fragrant, thick flesh, small seeds, sweet and less watery. Other types available in the US are watery and have a slightly sweet and sour taste," Ms. Huyen commented.

Close-up of Vietnamese lychee stall on June 21, still fresh after 5 days of transportation. Photo: LNS

In the 2023 crop year, Bac Giang plans to export about 96,000 tons of lychee, accounting for about 53% of output and increasing by 15.2% compared to the 2022 crop year. Main export markets include: China, EU, US, Australia, Japan, Korea, some Southeast Asian countries, and some countries in the Middle East.

However, Vietnam only has one irradiation center in Ho Chi Minh City licensed by US authorities to process goods imported into the country. This makes the logistics process longer and increases costs. "To get goods into US supermarkets, for every dollar spent on fabric, we have to spend two dollars more on all logistics costs," said Ms. Huyen.

The Vietnam Trade Office in Houston-Texas noted that in order to have large and stable export shipments, the role of import, distribution, transportation and related service partners is very important. In addition to the value of brands, businesses need to pay attention to in-depth market research, ensuring professionalism and experience in exporting shipments.

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