This year, many lychee orchards are silent. Many owners stand still, gazing at their trees, for even if they wished to tend to them, there are few fruits left to care for.

Leaves without flowers, flowers without fruit

After four consecutive years of bumper harvests, the rolling lychee hills of the renowned Luc Ngan region bear a different look this year. The vast greenery still carpets the hillsides, and lush canopies still overhang the winding paths, but amidst that eye-catching green, the familiar crimson hue of clusters signaling a prosperous season is missing. Many orchards show only thick layers of leaves with no fruit in sight.

As the first rains of the season subside, the earthy scent rises from the reddish soil paths leading into the gardens. The space is strangely quiet. At this time in previous years, farmers would be busy pruning branches, propping up trees, bagging fruit, watching for traders, and preparing for a bustling harvest. This year, many orchards are silent, save for the sound of water dripping from leaves after the rain. Many owners stand still, gazing at their trees, for even if they wished to tend to them, there are few fruits left to care for.

Mr. Dang Van Tang, Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Bac Ninh Province, could not hide his concerns when speaking about a challenging lychee season. According to him, the 2026 lychee crop took place under adverse weather conditions, significantly impacting the growth process and the trees' fruiting capacity.

The decisive moment for the crop fell exactly during the final months of last year. The flower bud differentiation stage in November and December did not have the expected low temperatures; the cold spells were short, and high humidity prevented the trees from meeting the conditions to transition into flowering. Instead of focusing energy on flower buds, many areas sprouted winter shoots—young green leaves that flourished but signaled the loss of fruiting opportunities.

“Not only was the flowering rate low, but the blooming period was also scattered—early in some places and late in others—making simultaneous care difficult. Everything from yield forecasting to pest control has been more passive compared to favorable years. For lychee growers, these have been days of suspense, watching trees grow leaves without flowers, or seeing flowers that fail to set into clusters,” Mr. Tang said sadly.

Based on this reality, Bac Ninh specialized agencies forecast that the province's total lychee output this year will reach only about 95,000 tons—including 40,000 tons of early-season lychees and over 50,000 tons of main-season lychees—equivalent to about half of the 2025 output.

Orchards with their "own bumper harvest"

Amidst the overall somber picture, not every hillside has fallen into crop failure. There are still orchards that have maintained their fruit load, as experienced lychee growers prove that harsh weather is not the sole deciding factor. When trees are tended to at the right time, in the right way, and closely monitored through every growth stage, the season can still be salvaged.

In Ho village, Kien Lao commune, Mr. Lam Van Hoc, a member of the Cuong Thinh Luc Ngan Agricultural Service Cooperative, has been producing lychees for export for 3-4 years. His 1.2-hectare orchard with more than 300 main-season lychee trees is expected to be harvested in mid-June. Unlike many places where branches are lush but fruit is sparse, the cooperative’s orchard this year still shows stable vitality, with young fruits forming relatively densely and uniformly.

According to Mr. Hoc, to save the lychee crop in a year of unfavorable weather, cooperative members proactively irrigated to maintain moisture, balanced fertilization, and frequently visited the gardens to grasp the trees' growth progress. As a result, about 80% of the lychee area has successfully flowered and set fruit. The most important factor is strictly controlling soil moisture, because missing just one beat of care during sensitive stages can cause the trees to "lose strength" and rapidly decrease fruit setting.

Maintaining output is only half the story. For lychee regions aiming for export, fruit quality is the deciding factor for value. Mr. Hoc stated that the cooperative was guided to fully record the entire production process—from spraying times and types of pesticides to the amount of fertilizer used and other care stages. This is a mandatory requirement to ensure traceability and control pesticide residues when bringing goods into demanding markets.

Even the appearance and size of the fruit are carefully calculated. Many buyers require Grade 1 lychees to reach about 45 fruits/kg. To ensure uniform, well-shaped fruit with thick pulp and bright colors, growers must care from the roots, provide enough water, maintain proper moisture, and thin out the canopy to increase light and ventilation.

According to Mr. Lam Van Hoc, producing lychees according to export standards can yield a value twice as high as conventional methods. Not only do they sell at a better price, but growers also reduce the amount of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, saving costs and ensuring health. Especially in the context where many places face crop failure this year, adhering to technical protocols has helped the cooperative's orchards maintain a yield equivalent to, or even 10% higher than, 2025.

Such models are what the local agricultural sector aims to replicate. Mr. Dang Van Tang said that in the context of decreasing output, Bac Ninh Province is determined not to chase quantity but to shift focus to enhancing the value of the lychee fruit. A lychee production steering team has been established, and technical staff have been assigned to follow key communes and wards closely to guide growers toward quality-oriented care.

Technical measures are being implemented synchronously—from thinning canopies for ventilation and proper irrigation to balanced fertilization, increasing organic matter, and micronutrients to raise the fruit-setting rate, limit fruit drop, and improve appearance. Alongside this is the strengthening of pest forecasting and timely prevention of high-risk subjects such as fruit stalk borers, anthracnose, downy mildew, or fruit flies at the end of the season. The use of pesticides is strictly required to follow the permitted list and pre-harvest intervals, especially in export-oriented production areas.

“From now until the end of the season, the weather is forecast to remain volatile with rising temperatures interspersed with pre-harvest rains, which can easily cause fruit cracking and affect quality. In a challenging lychee season, close presence in the fields, proactive cultivation techniques, and the ability to control pests will therefore be the decisive factors to keep the final results,” the Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Bac Ninh Province emphasized.

Following the merger of administrative boundaries, the entire Bac Ninh Province now has 40 communes and wards growing lychees, continuing to affirm its position as a key lychee production region of the country.

In 2026, the province's total lychee area reached approximately 29,800 hectares, with an estimated output of about 95,000 tons, reaching nearly 60% of the plan. Of this, early-ripening lychees account for 8,200 hectares (27.5%) with an output of over 40,000 tons; main-season lychees account for 21,600 hectares (72.5%) with an output of about 55,000 tons.

Source: Bao Nong nghiep va Moi truong