Vietnamese Fresh "Golden" Lychee Hits US Supermarkets

Vietnam used to export only frozen lychee to the US. By this July, nearly 20 tonnes of Vietnamese fresh lychee are being sold in the West Coast of the United States, including states of California, Oregon, and Washington.
July 09, 2023 | 14:29

People in the states of California, Oregon, and Washington can get this juicy fruit priced at US $3.99 per pint, or VND 200,000 per kilogram, a good deal compared to those from China and Mexico (available at an Asian market in San Francisco for about VND 259,000 per kilogram), reported VOV.

Under the brand "Golden Lychee," Vietnamese fresh lychee is being distributed in the US from 30 June by Dragonberry Produce Inc, and can be brought at Safeway and Albertsons, the largest supermarket chains on the West Coast of the United States, housing 913 supermarkets, and over 300 supermarkets respectively.

The tropical fruity treat is now popular among US consumers, especially on the occasion of US Independence Day (July 4).

Earlier in June a 1.08-tonne consignment of fresh lychee from the northern province of Bac Giang had reached the US for the first time, according to the Vietnam Trade Office. The fruit has been sold at several supermarkets in Houston, Texas, since June 21, with a pack of 11 pounds (or five kilograms) costing US $140, or VND 3.3 million.

Vietnamese Fresh
(Photo: congthuong.vn).

Many challenges in exporting fresh fruits

The Vietnam Trade Office Branch in San Francisco (USA) on July 3 informed that 20 tons of fresh lychees were transported from Vietnam to the US by sea.

Prior to this big batch, most of Vietnam's fruits exported to the United States only have access to a system of small markets and supermarkets serving Asian consumers.

Vietnamese Fresh
Under the Golden Lychee brand, the products is popular thanks to professional packaging with competitive prices (Photo: thoibaotaichinhvietnam.vn)

Vietnamese lychees are carefully selected for the US consumers, contributing to diversifying the market and further promoting the export of agricultural and food products to the US market.

Regarding the promotion of Vietnamese lychee in the US, the San Francisco Trade Office in collaboration with the Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Association in the US (VENUSA) utilized social networks. They also organized stalls to display and sell lychee fruit in some market areas of Vietnamese and Asian people. There were also tasting events to promote more exposure and consumption of this fruit.

However, according to the Vietnam Trade Office Branch in San Francisco, the export of lychee to the US market still faces many difficulties such as the lack of an irradiation facility in the Nothern part of Vietnam that was recognized by the US. Another big challenge is due to transportation. To solve this issue, the Vietnam Trade Office in the United States, and the Trade Office Branch in San Francisco have actively reported and coordinated with agencies and units of the relevant ministries and branches as well as the US Department of Agriculture.

The parties are putting their best effort to implement the Hanoi Irradiation Center. While there are many limitations at the post-harvest preservation technology, the fruit production and distribution companies in Vietnam are seeking solutions for the preliminary processing, packaging, preservation, and transportation of fresh fruits to the US markets.

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