Expanding global reach to boost Bắc Giang Province’s key agricultural products

Lychee export processing line of Global Export and Import Foodstuff JSC in Bắc Giang Province — Photo VNS

BẮC GIANG — Bắc Giang Province has proposed and recommended the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development support in connecting the market for the province’s key agricultural products both domestically and internationally, particularly in the Southeast Asian market in 2024.

The highlighted products include lychee, slated for consumption in 2024, citrus fruits, processed products, and livestock for the end of 2023 and subsequent years. The province urges support for enterprises, cooperatives, and safe production regions to meet export standards for these key products.

Simultaneously, the province calls on support from provinces and cities nationwide in propaganda efforts and promote the province’s reliable agricultural products and production sites through various mass media channels. This is aimed at informing and empowering consumers to make informed choices.

The initiative also involves introducing capable businesses and distributors who are willing to engage in partnership agreements, producing and consuming products from reputable addresses in Bắc Giang Province. Regular connections and support for trade promotion are encouraged through booths, fairs, and exhibitions organised by various provinces to showcase and promote Bắc Giang’s safe agricultural products, including those under the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme.

In 2024, Bắc Giang anticipates the lychee production to reach more than 160,000 tonnes (45 per cent for domestic consumption and 54 per cent for export), orange production at 30,500 tonnes (including 18,000 tonnes of Canh sweet orange), and pomelo production at 40,500 tonnes (with 22,800 tonnes of Diễn pomelo). Additionally, the province expects to sell 261,000 tonnes of livestock products (pork, poultry, cattle, buffalo, goats), 54,000 tonnes of fish, 554,700 tonnes of rice, 19,340 tonnes of cashew, and 495,500 tonnes of vegetables.

This year, the province has sold around 201,600 tonnes of lychee, more than half of which (111,200 tonnes) were exported, with the majority, around 98 per cent, prioritised for the Chinese market. The remaining exports were distributed to over 30 other countries and territories, including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, the European Union, Thailand, UAE, Qatar, and various Middle Eastern countries. 

Tourists enjoy oranges and grapefruits right in the garden space at the Agricultural Production and Trade Cooperative, Thanh Hải Tourism—Photo VNS

Lê Bá Thành, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Bắc Giang Province, said the province is gearing up to implement effective production measures in the remaining months of this year and throughout 2024 to ensure a steady supply of key agricultural products to domestic and foreign markets, especially in the Southeast Asian region.

Bắc Giang has an area of nearly 5,500 hectares dedicated to pomelo cultivation, producing an estimated 40,500 tonnes in 2023. The province also cultivated oranges on nearly 3,500 hectares, yielding an estimated 35,000 tonnes, with Vinh oranges and Canh sweet oranges being prominent varieties. These citrus products are predominantly consumed within the domestic market, specifically in Hà Nội and neighbouring provinces.

The province’s vegetable cultivation area in 2023 covered approximately 26,200 hectares, with a total output of 469,100 tonnes. Half of this production is consumed within the province, while the remainder is supplied to other provinces and cities such as Hà Nội, Hải Phòng and Quảng Ninh. Bắc Giang aims to supply around 115,000 tonnes of various vegetables in the remaining months of this year.

Bắc Giang has also produced a total of 211,635 tonnes of meat and 200 million eggs. Around 80 per cent of these livestock products are exported to neighbouring provinces and cities, including Hà Nội, Hải Phòng, Quảng Ninh, Hưng Yên, Lạng Sơn and Cao Bằng with the remaining 20 per cent consumed inside the province. It is expected to supply around 47,600 tonnes of various types of meat to meet the demand in the last few months of this year.

Nguyễn Xuân Việt, Director of Vifoco Import-Export JSC, has said that the company has exported various agricultural products such as Chinese cabbage, pumpkin, potatoes, eggplants, carrots, cucumbers, and lychees to South Korea, Russia, and Eastern European countries since the beginning of this year. Thanks to the proactive investment in technical infrastructure and consistent communication with partners, the company was able to secure export orders for the entire year with a stable output. 

Meanwhile, Somkiat Wongsakulchai, CEO of Ekthai Products Company in Thailand, affirmed that Vietnamese lychees are superior in taste to other lychees sold in Thailand. He praised Vietnamese lychees for their beautiful colour, small seeds, juicy pulp, and delicious taste.

“This is the first time we are selling Vietnamese lychees at seven stores in Bangkok and will expand to all branches next year. I believe that Thai consumers will be very interested in Vietnamese lychee,” Wongsakulchai said. — VNS