A ceremony was held on May 18, 2021 to mark the beginning of Hai Duong's lychee harvest season and the first shipments this year of about 100 tonnes to Japan and Singapore. (Photo: VNA)

It was the first of a series of events being held to promote its signature Thanh Ha lychee. 

Hai Duong is better placed to export lychee to Japan this year, as the Japanese side has authorized the Plant Protection Department to monitor the sterilization of the fruit in Vietnam, according to Luong Thi Kiem from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Major exporters such as the Ameii Vietnam JSC and the Red Dragon Co., Ltd. have linked with local growers to purchase lychees for export to Japan, she added.
During this crop, Hai Duong will export 30,000-35,000 tonnes of the fruit to China, which has been its biggest buyer for many years. About 70 packaging facilities in the province have been granted codes for export to Vietnam’s northern neighbor.
The province also plans to ship around 1,000 tonnes of lychee to Japan, 1,000 tonnes in total to the US, Australia and Singapore, and 800-1,000 tonnes to Thailand, the Middle East, and Malaysia.
Dubbed the “lychee capital” of Hai Duong, Thanh Ha district is harvesting the early-ripening lychee and the main-crop lychee will be ready for harvest from June 5. Total production is estimated at about 55,000 tonnes this year.