Output has dropped by more than half, and the heavy appearance of pests has caused an unprecedented differentiation in the quality of early-ripening lychees in Bac Ninh. At the beginning of the season, beautiful lychees were purchased at over 30,000 VND/kg, while many batches with worm-infested fruits and poor appearances could only be sold for 10,000 VND/kg.

“Taking many days just to gather enough for a single truck”

Phuc Hoa Commune, Bac Ninh Province, is one of the key early-ripening lychee growing regions, covering an area of approximately 845 hectares. In 2026, the entire commune's output is estimated at about 7,500 tons, down as much as 50-55% compared to the previous year due to adverse weather during the flower bud differentiation stage, which resulted in low flowering and fruit-setting rates.

Beyond crop failures, pests—especially pedicel end borers—have appeared in large numbers, directly impacting fruit quality. Right from the start of the season, this has created a paradox in the market: selling prices do not depend entirely on output, but rest primarily on product quality and appearance.

According to observations at weighing stations in Phuc Hoa on May 14 and 15, beautiful, uniform lychee batches that meet standards for export to the Chinese market were always purchased at high prices. Conversely, lychees with small fruits, uneven coloring, or worm-infested tips faced severe price-squeezing, dropping to very low levels.

Mr. Nguyen Van Lap, a trader who traveled down from Lao Cai to purchase produce locally, stated that lychee prices this year fluctuate between 10,000 and 33,000 VND/kg. However, sources of beautiful goods are extremely rare.

According to Mr. Lap, the proportion of standard-compliant lychees this year accounts for only about 30% of total output, far lower than last year. While in previous seasons he could gather 2 to 3 trucks of goods every day, this year, spending many days to buy just one truckload has already proven difficult.

From a consumption perspective, Ms. Dang Thi Thanh—a retailer who specializes in buying lychees to bring to wholesale markets in Thai Nguyen—remarked that the market this year is quite quiet. Although prices at certain times are multiple times higher than last year, purchasing power remains weak because the lychee quality is not uniform.

“Lychees with worm-infested tips are quite common. Poorly presented fruits brought to the market are usually rejected by customers, who look at them and walk away, so retailers also have to think twice when importing stock,” Ms. Thanh said.

For this reason, many households in Phuc Hoa are hesitant to sell early, hoping prices will improve when the supply falls more sharply in the coming time.

Good prices, but many orchards still fall short on revenue

Although the selling price of early-ripening lychees this year is not low, actual income has still dropped sharply for many households because output has plunged deeply.

The family of Ms. Nguyen Thị Tho in Luc Lieu Hamlet, Phuc Hoa Commune, entered the harvest season about a week ago. According to Ms. Tho, at the beginning of the season, beautiful lychees were sold for around 35,000 VND/kg, but have now decreased to 29,000-30,000 VND/kg.

Her family owns nearly 200 lychee trees, but this year they expect to harvest only about 4 tons, down by more than half compared to the previous year. “On the whole, the fruits still look quite beautiful, but since the crop failed, our total income is not high,” she shared.

The reality in Phuc Hoa indicates that despite higher selling prices compared to last year, many lychee growers still find themselves in a situation of “good prices but a failed crop,” leading to profits that fall short of expectations.

However, not every orchard faces difficulties. Mr. Ngo Van Cuong in Quat Du 2 Hamlet stated that his family’s 1.2-hectare lychee orchard still achieved about 80% of last season's output and is expected to start harvesting from May 23.

Notably, his family's entire output has been contracted by an enterprise for export to the Japanese and South Korean markets at a price of 40,000 VND/kg. However, to command this price, the production process must satisfy strict standards regarding quality and safety.

Faced with the sharp differentiation in lychee quality, the Phuc Hoa Commune government has implemented various solutions to assist citizens in consuming their products. The locality currently maintains 25 growing area codes serving export activities, while simultaneously boosting production under VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards.

The commune police force has also been tasked with developing traffic management plans at weighing stations and procurement points, ensuring that transport activities run smoothly.

Accelerating trade promotion for lychee consumption

To find market outlets for this year's lychee crop, Bac Ninh is stepping up trade promotion with many large-scale activities. The highlight is the Conference on Promoting the Consumption of Lychees and Key Agricultural Products, scheduled for May 28, which is expected to attract around 500 delegates, including logistics enterprises, distribution systems, e-commerce platforms, and international partners—particularly from the Chinese market.

Moving beyond traditional distribution channels, Bac Ninh Province is also driving digital transformation in agricultural consumption. Livestream sessions promoting lychees and OCOP products will be organized to bring the products directly to consumers.

According to the plan, a livestream session will take place on May 20 in Nam Duong Commune to introduce growing areas, production processes, harvesting, and to connect consumption on digital platforms.

Additionally, a series of events titled “Welcoming the Early Lychee Season” in Phuc Hoa on May 23—featuring experiential activities such as running through lychee regions, picking lychees, and promoting “beautiful lychee orchards”—is also expected to stimulate consumption and attract tourists.

In 2026, Bac Ninh Province certified 143 beautiful lychee orchards across 15 communes and wards to elevate the brand value of local lychees, linking agricultural production with experiential tourism development and trade promotion.

According to statistics, Bac Ninh currently possesses about 29,800 hectares of lychees, with an estimated output of over 95,000 tons; within this, the early lychee area spans about 8,200 hectares with an output exceeding 40,000 tons. The entire province has 243 growing area codes and 42 packaging facilities qualified to export to numerous markets such as China, Japan, the US, and Australia.

Against the backdrop of a distinct polarization in lychee quality, the question for this year's harvest season is no longer simply whether one can secure a "good price," but rather who possesses standard-compliant products to truly benefit from the market.

Source: VietNamNet