Global GAP lychees conquer the EU and US markets

Phuc Hoa commune is the early-ripening lychee center of Tan Yen district, Bac Giang province. Thanks to the conversion of lychee cultivation according to Global GAP standards, the lychee products after harvest always have superior quality, ensuring food safety, traceability, and the opportunity to reach many international markets.

Changing from traditional production methods to strict processes and meeting international standards is a long process, and it requires the courage of farmers and the strong participation of local authorities. That is, the authorities always pay attention to and closely direct the economic development of lychee trees, and local people have boldly changed the method of growing lychee according to Global GAP standards to improve product quality.

In the early days of implementing production models according to Global GAP standards, the officers in charge of agriculture in Phuc Hoa commune and the agricultural department of Tan Yen district often had to be on duty at the lychee hills to calculate the amount of spraying and the density of spraying for each garden, ensuring that the lychee fruit met export standards.

After being propagated, Ngo Van Cuong was one of the few households in Phuc Hoa commune to pioneer in growing lychee according to the new standards. In implementing lychee planting according to the latest standards to meet export standards, Cuong was instructed to focus on using pesticides in the permitted list and taking care of the plants according to the correct process. Additionally, the concentration of pesticides must be reduced compared to the recommendation, and the care regimen must be implemented according to the instructions.

After a few crops, seeing the economic efficiency improved, the selling price was high, and it could be exported, Cuong mobilized the lychee growers around him to join the model and instructed them to strictly follow the experts' instructions, no longer cultivating according to traditional methods. Thanks to that, after participating in the model, other households guaranteed their output with stable prices, no longer worrying about output.

"Growing lychee according to Global GAP standards helps us sell at high prices, with stable output to earn money and get rich. The spacious and modern high-rise buildings here are proof of that," Ngo Van Cuong shared.

According to Nguyen Van Hung - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Hoa commune, the locality has over 700 hectares of lychee, of which over 400 hectares of lychee are produced according to VietGAP standards, 10 hectares are produced according to GlobalGAP standards. Local people have taken care of lychee according to the correct technical process, pests and diseases have caused little damage, and the fruit set rate is high. On average, people in Phuc Hoa commune will harvest about 10,000 tons of lychee each season. With the existing advantages, the locality will implement production development programs to increase the value and productivity of lychee in the future.

In 2024 alone, Phuc Hoa lychee successfully exported to demanding markets such as Europe, the US, and Canada with an output of about 180 tons. The purchase price of lychee that meets export standards at the garden is VND 30,000 per kg, while normal lychees are only sold for about VND 10,000 per kg.

Early lychee in Phuc Hoa commune meets Global GAP standards, is highly appreciated, affirms its brand, is exported to demanding markets, and has no limit on the quantity purchased from foreign partners.

In 2024, under the direction of the District People's Committee, Phuc Hoa commune will build and expand two more lychee production areas to soon meet standards and quality and ensure food hygiene and safety in the villages: Phuc Le, Lan Thinh, Quat Du 2. All are applied with advanced technology in production, preliminary processing, preservation, packaging, meeting the domestic market requirements and exporting to EU countries, Japan, the US....

"Every year, at the beginning of the season, many foreign companies sign purchase contracts to export lychee abroad, especially without quantity limits. The locality has been zoning to build a brand of lychee grown according to standards so that it can be exported abroad," said Nguyen Van Hung.

According to the leader of Tan Yen District People's Committee, in recent years, Tan Yen District has focused on promoting the application of technology and digital transformation to introduce, promote, and promote lychee consumption with the motto of expanding to all domestic markets. Also, it continues to develop consumption in the traditional Chinese market and expands the market to Japan, the EU, the USA, Korea, Thailand, etc.

Additionally, to support people in consuming products, every year, the district proactively organizes conferences to meet with businesses, some corporations, and domestic supermarket chains to grasp the situation of the lychee consumption market. Thereby discussing solutions to create favorable conditions for companies and traders to enter the area to consume lychee for farmers.

Tan Yen District currently has more than 1,400 hectares of lychee, of which the early lychee area is 1,250 hectares, and the main lychee area is about 170 hectares. The area of ​​early-ripening lychee is mainly concentrated in Phuc Hoa commune, with over 700 hectares of lychee, of which over 400 hectares of lychee are produced according to VietGAP standards and 10 hectares are produced according to GlobalGAP standards.